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

Story-telling, Story-making, Story-listening

In my previous post, I reflected on the importance of our biblical heritage, as well as the importance of delving into history to better understand that past. As I reflected on this a bit more, I realized that exploring our biblical history also offers lessons about the importance of story-telling, story-making and story-listening.

Having been raised in the valley of the Appalachian Mountains and now living in the heart of Appalachia, I know the importance of storytelling. It is a critical component of our lives and of our connections with each other. I find I look forward to my own family gatherings, where we share stories of our past, both collectively and individually.  

But I realize that storytelling and memory are not restricted to family gatherings or even non-church settings. I can still remember the Sunday school building of my childhood with its Victorian architecture. The building’s layout is still clear to me even though the building was demolished when I was not yet a teen. I still remember the many faces and places of my church experience.

But I now am transplanted to new place nearly 200 miles away. The stories of these churches are new to me. I realize the importance of the individual and collective stories of each of these churches and of their people. The stories are critical to my getting to know the people and the churches. The facts and fables that populate the people’s impressions of their churches and of each other make nearly indelible imprints on the maps that they use for being church and doing ministry.

The memories and stories impact the manner in which they engage with the people and places of the other churches in the region. The fables of long-ago-deceased parishioners continue to impact how today’s parishioners engage with each other, and particularly with me. I needed to learn these stories. The stories explain who the people are, who they see themselves to be, and who they may perceive me to be.

I took this realization very seriously. I have asked many questions. I have asked people to share their stories with me, both orally and in writing. More importantly, I have listened. I have learned how different today is for them from the past—both good and bad. People are wistful about the good memories. They want to hold on to those memories. But I also learn of those memories that are less favorable. Those stories also provide bridges for me in learning how to assist them in developing new futures as well as creating new memories.

By and large, people see the good and the bad. On reflection, they find that they are open to changes, even if small or incremental. As we engage with the story-telling, I am finding that I hear a lot less today than I did a year ago, the standard response to many of my earlier suggestions for change: “We NEVER did it that way.”  And that is a good thing, wouldn’t you agree?

Theresa 

Learning from our Biblical Fathers and Mothers

Most of the churches with which I work have elected to use the Track One or historical readings for this long period of Sundays after Pentecost until Advent. Thus, we will focus on the fathers and mothers of our biblical faith. We can once again learn about their importance to our biblical heritages and faith by delving into history, reading of their faith and witness.

As a ministry developer for several small churches, I see the importance of history and memory for the folks whom I serve. Last week, I decided to do Canticle 13 instead of the Psalm. Each of the nine times we said and heard the words “Glory to you,” I wanted to break into song, remembering the melodies to which those words are set in other churches that I attended over the years. I gravitated to my memories of what that canticle’s words and its tune mean for me. I remember the Gloria Patri of my own youth in another tradition and my fondness for the Gloria from a close relative’s church today.

I also am attracted by the history behind the canticle, which I shared with the church I visited last week. I noted my admiration that the three young men whose canticle we read could sing words of thanksgiving and joy from the heart of a blazing furnace on account of their faith in God. I also was impressed by the great level of detail to which the full Song of the Three Young Men gave thanks to God for all creation, including the heat of summer, the cold of winter, whales and cattle. More importantly, it offered me a reminder of mankind’s connection with all of creation, as we engage in continued creation, destruction, and re-creation of the earth and its bounty.

Serving rural churches in a beautiful setting of mountains and creeks makes it possible for me to reflect frequently on our connection with the land. That in turn reminds me of our connection with family and friends as we gather each week to offer support to each other, break bread together, share the common cup, and depart into the world to do God’s work.

Eucharistic visitors take a part of themselves and their congregations as they take communion from the services to parishioners. I make a connection with folks as I make pastoral visits or accompany parishioners for important events where they need a friendly companion—a friendly face in the scary crowd.

These connections reflect our own historical connections with each other—connections based on the stories and memories of ourselves and of our ancestors. We rely on these memories, both historical and fabricated, to maintain the connections that make us whole. Without those connections, it is difficult to make those visits, to engage in those conversations, and to build increasing trust and love within the community.

I am hoping that my frequent interactions with the various churches over the summer months, filling in for vacationing clergy, will allow me to help carry the stories of our biblical history into the present and future. I have the opportunity to grow further connections with them as we create new stories that will be the histories of future generations. As we unravel the historical pasts, we can weave new possibilities to be shared and passed along for generations ahead.

May I have the patience to wait and see what unfolds as our new beginnings while companioning my “friends” in this new history of creation!?

Theresa 

Personality Types and Ministry Development

When I have completed Myers Briggs Type Indicator™ personality assessment questionnaires in the past, my balance between any two of the indicators has varied from time to time. All of this has depended on the time in my life at which I was completing the questionnaire and whether or not the assessment program had a spirituality, vocational, or other basis.

Despite these variations, however, I generally “test” out as being fairly strong on the Introversion end of the Introversion to Extroversion scale and very strong on the Judging end of the Judging and Perceptive scale. In my past professions I simply needed to make decisions, meet deadlines, and move on. This trait has been quite helpful in my current vocation and particularly today as I find myself putting together a sermon or a service booklet for a particular Sunday or Holy Day.

I also have tended to be more highly Sensory, versus iNtuitive on the S/N scale. Thinking or Feeling? A borderline case for me, although I generally score slightly closer to Thinking rather than Feeling. My previous professions as a tax lawyer and a legal editor caused me to be more of a Thinker than I am or need to be today, when Feeling certainly seems to play more into the work of a ministry developer.

I ponder all of this as I think about how my personality type seems to interplay with my current calling to ministry development. As a ministry developer, I need to be a good listener and withhold judgment as I take in the relevant information. Yet, I must make quick decisions in times of urgency or when I have limited time with the persons with whom or for whom a decision is needed.

Perhaps it is my introverted, sensory nature of sitting quietly, observing the group dynamics, and analyzing what I was hearing before speaking--and thus being “the invisible person”--that prepared me well for sitting, taking in information, thinking on it, and then considering solutions. My petite stature, the stereotypical view of women, and my ability to sit quietly (as introverts are more prone to do) seems to fit well with this calling. (As anyone who is good at being “invisible” will tell you, remaining quiet is the key to information gathering. Speaking reminds others of your presence and thus you lose the benefit of invisibility.) I guess the one “growing edge,” as they say, with my MBTI fitting with the nature of this work is that I need to withhold the Judging aspect so that I withhold judgment as I take in the information. Did I read that gesture of body language correctly? Did I detect something in the tone of voice that indicates an issue? Or, am I overanalyzing it all? Is the person just having a bad day and so the extraneous information is luring me away from the “correct” path of thinking?

With a supportive supervisor and colleagues, I am honing that urge to come to judgment based on limited information. I regularly use them for reality checks and to bounce off ideas. I also benefit from their wisdom that is less clouded by the trees that might be obscuring my view. All of this is to say that all of this is an evolving process and that perhaps with my MBTI being as it is, my allocation between the various types will slide a bit here and there as I discover and hone the traits best suited to do this work—God’s work.

Theresa