St. Francis Day Reflections

While other clergy are busy with special “blessing of the animals” services in their parishes, I reflect on the fact that I live in the middle of God’s creation as a missioner in Western Maryland. It seems so very appropriate that I reflect on the locations of the churches with which I work on this, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi.

As I look at the membership listing for the Living Stones Partnership--a partnership of dioceses, seminaries and other communities of faith involved in local ministry (see http://livingstonespartnership.org)—I realize that what led us to appreciate local ministry connects us in another manner. And that is our respective settings—our beautiful environs. Each partner holds claim to being located in “God’s country,” knowing full well that what we say and what we do are two very different things. We seem to have that unique appreciation for our environment and for the fact that we live on earth, on loan from our creator, loving God. Thus, at the very core we are a partnership of communities of faith with a sense of creation and our need to preserve it at all costs.

And that generally means living more simply and more responsibly. It also means being self-sufficient.

Living Stones in many ways is not just a partnership of communities of faith involved in local ministry. We are a partnership of communities of faith that, for various reasons, understand local ministry and the “ministry of all baptized.”  We are communities of faith with smaller parish memberships, parishes located more distant from each other and particularly more distant from institutions of higher religious education. We look to ourselves and to each other to solve problems. We look to each other for leadership. More importantly, we look to each other for the tapping and growing of gifts—giftedness from God for God, for the community and for each other.

We are adept at gifts identification, particularly in others, even though we may be hard-pressed to identify them in ourselves. The Appalachian, (or mid-western, or New England, or other) pride and humility, all wrapped into one, accounts for our unwillingness to self-identify. 

Sounds very Christ-like now that I think of it—Christ never tooted his own horn, and he certainly did not teach his disciples to do so either! Instead, he guided his followers as a shepherd, a companion and a gentle and prodding teacher.

Hmmm…perhaps I have discovered something about ourselves worth pondering further. The “ministry of all baptized” model grows out of humility and gifts identification in others in many ways. But it also grows out of a sense of independence—not one where we don’t need and help others. Heavens, we are the first to bring a home-baked pie or cake to a sick friend or pick up the phone to pass along a prayer chain message! But it is a sense of independence that gives us the fortitude to trudge on and keep to the pilgrim journey—a journey of life-long learning, seeking counsel from neighbor and friend, and helping neighbor and friend in doing what Christ taught us was and is Church—Church in the world, doing ministry. Ministry in the world, in the valley gaps and on the mountain tops. Ministry side by side along the pilgrim path.

Theresa

Authenticity and Identity

When someone is in a position of church leadership, others soon identify him or her as the “go to” person. I remember my years as assistant head usher in the early 1990s in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. I was greeting people, distributing bulletins and helping guests locate the nursery and other facilities. I thrived in that role. But what really made me realize that I was a leader was that Easter vigil service when something went wrong. People looked to me to solve the problem, which I did. In fact, I liked knowing that others saw me as a leader and actually depended on me to take responsibility while providing a sense of calm. Yes. That was nice.

But oh, there still was a difference when I became ordained; when I was the person to lead the service, versus be a volunteer or licensed lay leader. The buck stops with me now. If a service goes flat, they look to me. I no longer am “one of the girls” in church. I am the source of calm or of worry. I set the tone for the congregation. I also must look only to myself as the person ultimately responsible. That also is fine. I have no problems with that. But will the aspirants to leadership positions feel the same?

How do I explain this change to those whom I counsel when discerning their calls to ordained or commissioned leadership? Is it something that I can articulate and they can really understand? Will it be something that they live into gradually, or is it something like an epiphany, much like the V-8 commercial, with a hand slapping one’s forehead when it dawns on him or her when it occurs?

Further, how do I explain what it was like discerning a call within a parish that still remembers me as the insecure and skinny teen of long ago? That image haunted me early in my discernment process. I had to leave that church and continue my discernment for a few more years before I could break free of that shadow. I had that luxury, but those who are discerning calls within mutual ministry, within communities that they never left or returned, do not have that luxury. How do I help them with that shadow side of ministry development within their “home” parishes?

I keep raising these issues with the “aspirants”; life is different and will be different as they discern and accept their calls to leadership in the church. Perhaps I need to accept that I cannot fully explain it for them. I cannot fully prepare them. I can only hope (and pray) that I am there to support them when it happens and that they will understand that, yes, we tried to prepare them for that day, even if there was no way for them to comprehend all of our efforts. Will that be enough? I pray that it is. I guess that is all that I can do, with God’s help.

Theresa

 

Autumn Reflections

I am blessed to live and work in the mountains of Maryland, where fall means brilliantly colored trees, followed by a flurry of raking as the leaves fall from the trees, decorating the yards and fields.  And all while dealing with the ever-growing grass that seems to peek out between the colored leaves that dot my yard. I am graced with a full palette of color and textures of moist grass and drying leaves as I travel the roads of western Maryland.

It also is a time when activity seems to peak within the churches and communities. Fall festivals attract people from far and near, bringing visitors to the region, competing for hotels and restaurants with the college students and their alums. Churches compete with each other with harvest dinners of turkey and ham, accompanied by homemade cakes and pies. Fresh apple butter smeared on homemade bread or biscuits is a treat that I particularly enjoy this time of year.

Church doors and windows close to keep out the chill, and church attendance increases as people return to school and work. Each week is like a homecoming as people catch up with each other and what all they have been doing the past few months.

The musty smell of furnaces being lit to take away the evening chill remind us that winter weather is swiftly approaching. The so-called lazy days of summer are gone, and the days when we wall ourselves up inside are not yet upon us. We approach our lives as if this were our last chance for community before the uncertainty of bad weather haunts us once again.

My question is: Where do people find this new-found energy? As a missioner and ministry developer, I seem to be out of step with everyone else. I love the smells and tastes of autumn, but I frankly find that the life of a ministry developer is quite exhausting this time of year. Church activities are at a high, and I am still recovering from the task of filling in for all of the vacationing clergy over the past three months. I hate cold weather, so I certainly don’t look forward to that, but I find myself wistful for the slower pace of winter (other than Advent and Christmas and Lent, of course!).

Hmmm. Perhaps it just means that I have my work cut out for me—ministry development in sync with the development and training of new ministers! I think I finally got it—so watch out folks! This ministry developer is now on the prowl to deputize more ministers to help with this wonderful task of doing church in Western Maryland. Don’t say I did not warn you!

Theresa

Claiming Sabbath

The Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition, defines “Sabbath” as a “day for resting” and offers “Lord’s day” and “rest day” as synonyms for “Sabbath.” For me and others with regular church service responsibilities, however, this presents quite a conundrum, for Sundays are anything but a Sabbath day.

Before I became “responsible” for services, whether lay or ordained, and was a mere “volunteer,” it still was a Sabbath. It remained a worship experience and the duties stopped once I completed the service and/or my pastoral visits. Now, Sunday “duties” extend often late into the afternoon and evening, and the worship services are times of performance and service by me, for others, not something where I can be refreshed.

But I admit, however, that I still find that I am energized by each service and day of visits, so I know that I truly must be called by God to do this work.

I know that many Christian clergy strive to use either Monday or Friday as their day of Sabbath, seeking that that day might be a day of rest and refreshment for service to their congregations. But claiming a Sabbath when a ministry developer, with responsibilities for both clergy and lay at several churches (and in my case, eight churches), is something that I find difficult.

Is it wrong for me to be so sensitive to the fact that the clergy and lay for whom I am responsible are bi-vocational and thus might  be surprised to find I might be “unavailable” on a Monday or Friday, when they are working hard at their non-church job? Not to mention that those who successfully claim a Sabbath have differing Sabbath days between them and thus might seek my counsel on the “typical” Sabbath day that I select? And of course my formation responsibilities and multi-church duties generally mean Saturday rarely can be a day of “rest” any way.  

So I admit that it remains a continuing quandary for me, even after struggling with this for nearly two years. Other clergy in more conventional positions chastise me regularly for my lack of success in claiming a consistent Sabbath day and even more so for rarely claiming one. So I raise this query for my followers, and particularly other ministry developers who also are supply to so many clergy (particularly during the heavy month of August).  What might I learn about this by looking at what those with yoked or clustered churches do? And how do I turn off the smart phone without guilt?

I know! I should just turn the old smart phone off, right?! Readers and followers, any suggestions on making the techno break, cutting the old 3G cords, so to speak? I value your ideas and feedback. My clergy widower/husband will value your comments even more than me, I suspect!

Theresa

Community Building Across the Churches

As a missioner working with multiple churches and congregations, keeping abreast of each congregation’s activities--whether social, outreach, pastoral or otherwise --is a key component of being effective in my position. Many of the churches are very small. Church members generally are related by blood, adoption or marriage. Further, many are life-long members of their churches, even if they may have strayed away from church attendance for a period of time. Their only reference point for what church is and does is the church that they currently attend. Thus, they have vivid shared memories of what activities are key to their church’s identity. These traditions pass along from generation to generation, with great expectation that a particular activity will occur exactly in accordance with that tradition.

As one might imagine, this makes my life interesting as a relatively new transplant to the region, serving eight churches. Further, although I greatly value tradition, it has been emotionally impractical for me to hold on to such things when it comes to church. Because of my circuitous career and educational path, I have been active in over a dozen Episcopal churches over my adult life. This number does not even include the dozens of churches that I have attended while on vacation, through my Education for Ministry experiences, or even with friends who attend other churches. Although I visit my childhood church occasionally with my parents, I have been gone too long for my early church memories to be my reference point for a meaningful spiritual and religious experience.

I simply have had to “let go” of the expectation that nothing will change. Although I always had a church “home” where I was active, I long ago abandoned the idea that, whether as a matter of loyalty or even inertia, I must attend activities only at my own church. My career and educational travels have exposed me to far too many ideas for me to not think in terms of multi-church activities and joining in the mission, outreach or social activities at other churches. I grew up United Methodist, attended a Presbyterian youth group, and served with ecumenical and interfaith groups in the cities and towns where I have lived previously. It also did not hurt that there was no shortage of preacher kids in my high school class, opening up opportunities for learning about other denominations and attending activities with other churches.

In essence, norms and tradition are in the minds and eyes of the beholder. And these are changing in beautiful Western Maryland. Norms are changing and becoming the new “tradition,” little by little. Further, the sprouting and growth of inter-church activity is becoming ever-more visible, even during my nearly two years in Western Maryland.

Admittedly, some seeds were planted decades ago. A long-time tradition is the annual women’s picnic hosted by one church, to which the women of the other Episcopal churches are invited. The people come, and they have fun!  

New sprouts also are increasingly visible (and growing). A recent regional meeting resulted in a wonderful sharing of ideas for working with each other and with other area churches to be Church in the world. We learned of others’ gifts and how we might use them as members of the bodies of Church and Christ. We shared resources and solutions, on hearing of certain gaps in fulfilling their outreach objectives. Simultaneous problem-solving and community building. What a joy to behold! Additional seeds of community have sprouted and are gaining roots with the aid of parishioner-gardeners who are able to look beyond their own yards.

Theresa

Yes, I really DO need to consult my calendar

As a ministry developer, I seem to be in transit between churches and congregations much of the time, if not literally, at least figuratively. I switch gears many times each day between projects but also between focusing on one church or congregation versus another. I generally preach and lead services at two different churches on a Sunday, often for three services in boomerang fashion. That means totally different audiences with totally different personalities, and thus often different sermons depending on how God might be speaking to me as I pray over the readings and get further inspired while standing in the pulpit.

The Sunday morning of worship services might then be followed by pastoral visits for a vacationing clergy person from one of those churches or even a third church or a fourth. Oh, and what about the mid-week services? It may be easy to find supply for the vacationing clergy on a Sunday, but what about the mid-week services? With bi-vocational clergy in so many of the churches, they are unavailable to help with that need, so if means I get the opportunity to spend time with a different pocket of parishioners who frequent the mid-week morning or evening services.

Or what about any weekday nursing home services that rotate between the area Episcopal and other churches? Oh yes. Which ministerium or ministeriums should I join? And do their meetings or liturgical discussions overlap or can I attend them all? As the coordinator and supervisor of some of the other Episcopal clergy, should I even not be involved, to allow the truly local clergy have their own fellowship and educational group with “the supervisor” also attending?

And what about the Episcopal transplant to our attractive and ever-growing retirement destination? The shut-ins without any attachment to a specific local parish should not fall between the cracks merely because they have no local connection to a church. Thus, I am graced with the opportunity to actually have a small “congregation” of folks—albeit they do not meet together—that considers me their pastor as I visit with them and bring them communion.

And I really must not forget the ministry development components of the position. Another shifting of gears is needed. Thank goodness for e-mail and phones, especially mobile ones! I also must not forget my trusty GPS for those visits to little corners of the region. It really is not very helpful to follow a local’s directions when the directions involve turning by the “old Walmart” and then the Smith farm when the Walmart building is now something entirely different and the Smith farm is now a residential development and have been so long before I moved to the region.

Maybe it is the detective in me, but the mystery of where my day might lead keeps my day interesting and helps me increasingly love doing what I do. Admittedly, keeping track of my whereabouts and proposed whereabouts is not easy. So, when I actually tell folks that I need to check my calendar/date book, remember that I really do!! I simply cannot keep track of it all in my head, and I don’t even try to! Let’s just hope I don’t lose my datebook! Or it may mean a very lost Theresa!

Theresa

Matchmaker, Matchmaker

I found myself humming and singing the lyrics to the refrain from the well-known song from Fiddler on the Roof as I reflected on the life of a ministry developer working with more than a half a dozen churches. It also is where my heart lies--connecting people and resources, connecting people with people, and locating resources and information. It is the detective in me and perhaps in any effective ministry developer. We assist churches and people in getting "connected"; we make "matches." And it does not violate any canon on improper relationships!

Seems like learning how to make these connections is one of the most important skills (gifts?) that a ministry developer needs to be effective. No one expects the ministry developer to have all of the information or even be good at all things, but an effective developer does need to know how to research, locate, and pass along information. It also does not hurt if the ministry developer also loves being this matchmaker, which I do! Perhaps that is the reason I also found myself also humming part of the tune from The Sound of Music--"these are a few of my favorite things."

Theresa