The Rev. Will Parker
Faith • Improv • Creativity
About
Will Parker is an Episcopal priest, songwriter, improviser, and educator. Before pursuing ordination, Will worked as a musician and teaching artist, and he continues to utilize these skills in his ministry. He currently leads a missional community called Ludamus (‘let’s play’ in Latin), which explores the spiritual potential of musical and theatrical improv. Will also leads workshops and retreats centered on musical improv as a spiritual practice. He is the curate at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and he lives with his wife, Cecelia, in central Houston. Together, they enjoy board games, reading aloud, and performing and co-writing songs as their band, BlueRaspberry.
Musical Improv and Spirituality
Workshops and Retreats
Feedback from retreat participants
“This has been like a kind of an olive branch of my own humanity, and it’s liberating."
“This just opened my eyes up to like what theology and spirituality could be.”
“I forgot what it was like to feel God's presence and this helped me re-see that.”
Will leads playful and interactive musical improv workshops and retreats that explore the connections between theatrical/musical improv and theology. Even if you have no experience with improv or music, these experiences are designed to feel accessible to all. Some of the activities include: improv games and exercises, improvised acting and singing, prayer and Episcopal liturgy with group vocal improvisation, group discussion, and brief readings about improvisation and theology. No adherence to any belief system is required. The workshop/retreat can also be adapted for interfaith settings.