Dear Ones,
For your clergy, the blessings of serving the Parish of St. Matthew are legion. A warm and committed community, a fabulous team of staff and a gorgeous setting, for starters; and then there are the incredible ministries, the deep traditions, and the amazing elders who show us all what lives of loving service look like. For me, the call to come and join you all as your Associate Rector in July 2016 was, and still is, simply an extraordinary gift.
And now, hard as it is to believe, I am at the six-year mark. With that comes another blessing – the offering of a sabbatical. This parish understands that rest and renewal are an essential part of ongoing pastoral ministry, and so provides a sabbatical time benefit that accrues at the rate of two weeks each year, to be available at the sixth year. So starting June 20, I will be taking some time away, to be with dear ones and also to be just with myself. I have a list of hopes (not requirements!) for the time and a stack of reading that is absolutely unrealistic. I have trips planned and also places to be still. Most importantly, I have an open mind and heart, knowing that whatever agenda I bring to this time, the Spirit will be speaking into and shaping it.
So thank you, to all of you, for this wonderful and much needed opportunity to reflect and recharge. I will absolutely miss you, and look forward to returning after Labor Day.
Bless you all!
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