Finding Thanksgivings in Mobility Issues

As is typical of many rural churches, the demographics of the smallest churches in Western Maryland tend to be on the older end of the range for the regional population. Many of our active parishioners are in their 70s; some are even in their 80s and 90s. Many struggle to get to church, making painstaking steps with canes and walkers to their pews and to the various social functions within the churches. The list of shut-ins and nursing home residents is fairly long considering the size of the churches, so I spend much of my time visiting with still more parishioners in the hospital and in their homes, which may be assisted living and nursing home facilities. And through the pain and struggles that many endure, they always have a bright smile and thank you for the phone calls and visits that the parishioners and I have with them.

But it is the unexpected injuries and illnesses that I and my more mobile friends experience that help us more fully understand the daily lives of these ever-resilient, positive individuals whom I am graced to serve. I admit that I love my swift walks with friends and God to clear my head and allow me time to talk and listen. I enjoy my various dance classes in which I can “lose myself” and take my energy out in a full-body dance exercise routine.

I need those activities to decompress and spoil myself with something just for me. So it was a rather unpleasant surprise to find that my recent gardening efforts resulted in bug bites that developed into cellulitis. Cellulitis of my right calf to be more specific. After a mega shot and now taking the “horse pills” that I must take to wipe out the bacteria and infection, I am a bit restricted from my usual activities for the next 10 days. I hobble from a shot in one thigh and an infection in the other calf, reminding me of my three months of hobbling from an auto accident of 1984. But the reality is: the pain is minimal and it certainly tests my self-restraint from scratching the ever-itching places on my leg and now my wrist. Thus, I am blessed in so many ways.

I am blessed to learn how it is for my parishioners who wait for hours in the emergency room for treatment. I am blessed to better empathize with the parishioners for whom hobbling around with canes and walkers is a daily reality. I am blessed to learn how wonderful the people whom I serve are in caring for one another. I am blessed to discover how wonderful the medical professionals and staff in my local hospital truly are—pastoral and kind and immediately setting me at ease as I registered and waited. I am blessed to discover the mobility restrictions of my home that I might keep in mind as my husband and I consider how to better organize our house and any future changes. I am blessed to discover that God works in so many divine ways, allowing me to encounter the right person to encourage me to seek help rather than allow it to develop into something that might require more drastic treatment.

Oh my goodness. I am blessed in oh so many ways! And these blessings will inform me as I do my ministry of service and companionship as the vicar of two parishes and the missioner/ministry developer for eight. I pray that these lessons and these blessings will make me a better pastor, a better witness, a better listener, and a more compassionate soul. Not too much to pray for, right?

Theresa

These "Ordinary" Times

Each year we enter this period of “ordinary time” readings for the church year, with this long “green” period being devoted to readings that focus on the Christian life and ministry. This year being Year B, and with both of my churches use the Track 1 readings, we continue from last year the study of our biblical history and the not-so-early biblical fathers and mothers.

If we were using the “thematic” Track 2, which connects the Hebrew Bible and Gospel readings thematically, the people in the pews would receive a greater thematic continuity between the readings and particularly the collect of the day. However, it seems that each time we enter the long ordinary time after Pentecost, the people find the Track 1 historical texts something that they crave to hear and examine further.

Perhaps it is our Christian focus on the Gospels and Paul’s letters, but the ancient historical stories seem fresh and new. Each time that we delve deeper, I see something new. I add one more question to my repertoire for delving deeper once again, realizing that I may have missed the opportunity this week or this year to discuss a new insight, but we carry on with the same history next week. And we will repeat them again in three years, so there is a chance again to capture another hidden meaning. This is particularly nice since I alternate between churches and will not be preaching in front of the same people again for two more weeks.

That is the beauty of the Track 1 readings for me. I get a second or third chance to delve and explore with the parish these historical documents once again, if not this week, next week or the one after, as we continue the story. The focus is not on the Gospel text but instead on our deep roots, our Jewish roots, and how the various facts and historical events just keep on building.

These may be “ordinary” times in the sense that this is not a special church season and the readings carry a history or theme of discipleship and ministry, but I realize these are truly “extraordinary” not “ordinary” times. It is the extraordinary time to study our histories, make them real to us today, and do so in community.

Just today a colleague mentioned how much we live and breathe our faith in and through community. We do not live our Christian faith today without recognizing that it is built on many years of Jewish life that made each of us and our belief systems what they are today. And we are building a history for those who follow us. And isn’t that what living our Christian faiths is all about? Making history and making new stories.

Theresa