My dear ones,
“See how they love one another.” An early church father, Tertullian, wrote that the Romans were amazed at how early Christians behaved. That makes me think of you, Christ Church. How we love one another! And we will not be left orphans. The Diocesan Transition Minister, Amber Page Gehr outlined the steps for going forward after Rev. Ally's departure:
The parish has already submitted a financial report reviewing income and expenses for the past 3 years and predicting the year ahead.
Amber will meet with the Vestry.
We will have a parish meeting with Amber, either on Zoom or in person.
The Vestry and Parish will meet to gather data about our parish and propose interview questions.
The Vestry will go through a mandatory unconscious bias training with Amber and Canon Ranjit Mathews, Canon for Mission Advocacy, Racial Justice and Reconciliation to prepare for the interview.
The Vestry will conduct a mock interview
with someone chosen by the diocese to prepare for the interview.
Interviews will begin for a new Priest in Charge.
We will call a new priest. (Phew!)
What goes without saying, is that throughout all of this, God will be with us.
And also, what goes without saying, is that your prayers are a vital part of this process. Pray for our church. Pray for Rev. Ally. Pray for the Vestry. And of course, pray for a searching priest to find our beloved church. During the transition period, I will be soliciting supply priests for Holy Eucharist services at least once a month, preferably twice a month. Although we are lucky to have 5 lay leaders for Morning Prayer, we are a sacramental church and communion is an important part of our worship. With love, hope, and peace, Vicki (Your Senior Warden)
Dear Friends in Christ,
My sister and I used to argue that, among the major FEELINGS words-happy, sad, angry, etc, there should be another, entitled "TRANSITIONY." Something that would encompass the swirl of emotion that comes with major change and goodbyes: sadness, nervousness, love, gratitude, uncertainty, weariness, or annoyance and anger sometimes, too. If you are feeling or have felt at all "transitiony" on the eve of my departure as your priest, or amidst any of the changes of your lives, please know you are not alone; in fact you are in the very best company there is.
Jesus knew well what we all go through in life--the grief and uncertainty that comes from change. Whether at his self-presentation in the temple when he left behind childhood, the launch of his public ministry after years apprenticing with his carpenter father, leaving home for that public ministry, at
the death of his cousin John or his good friend Lazarus, or whether walking to the cross to stare down death and sin so that we all might know eternal life and forgiveness, Jesus knew change.
Jesus knew and felt keenly, as we do, the array of feelings that accompany life's transitions. Variously, he seemed annoyed or distracted (Luke 2: 41-51). He withdrew for some solitude (Matthew 14:13). His soul was troubled (Matthew 26:38). He asked God, Why? (Matthew 27:46)
And yet in all this flux, he was moved by compassion to heal and feed (Matthew 14:14ff). He remembered to surrender control of what we cannot control, "Not my will but your will be done." (Luke 22: 42). He sought to grow, even still, in Wisdom (Luke 2: 52). He prayed (Mark 13:39). He took comfort in Scriptures (Matthew 27:46 c.f. Psalm 22). He drew near to his friends (John 12ff). He leaned into God's life-giving way: Love God with all your heart, all your might, and all your soul and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22: 36-49). He looked for and trusted in the new life that God promises and always brings (J
ohn 11:43).
In this time of transition, it is my prayer that one and all find ways to draw closer to Jesus, our Companion of the Way who has walked before us, who walks with us, and from whom we can never be parted.
Yours always in Christ,
Rev. Ally