As I Take My Leave:  “SHALOM”

The Hebrew word both  for “Hello” and “Good-bye” is “SHALOM.”    In various points
in our lives, we find ourselves bidding friends “Shalom” after long-term relationships,
and at others, our “Shaloms” seem to come all too quickly, if not unexpectedly.  The
time has come for me to bid each of you my “Goodbye, SHALOM.”  And although it most
certainly has not come unexpectedly for Susan, Kate, and Hannah and me, it seems to have
come too quickly.   Nevertheless, I am confident that the good work in ministry that we have
been engaged in together will continue to grow and be transformed and adapted by your
Wardens and Vestry members and your new Rector as you bid him a hearty “Hello, Shalom”
in the weeks ahead.   Therefore, in consultation with Senior Warden Ed Seibert, I have decided to celebrate my last Sunday Holy Eucharist with you on Sunday, June 27th.  FatherRobert Deming will preside at Sunday Holy Eucharist throughout the month of July.

During the past two years that I have served you as Interim Rector, my life has been blessed
by the lives of so many of you, that I wouldn’t dare or know where to begin to count those
blessings.   Inevitably, times of transition can be times of uncertainty.   Nonetheless, during
this interim period you have welcomed  and incorporated many new parishioners into our life
in Christ.  Your church school, youth, and music programs have remained strong, thanks to
volunteers and parish staff persons.  You have shown a willingness to “think outside the box”
in the area of Christian Outreach. In addition to the “Angels Under the Balcony” project at
Christmas and the ongoing work with the Community Kitchen, the church school’s “Houses
for Haiti” initiative and last fall’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner attest that.  New lay
leaders and liturgical assistants have begun to serve. The first parish-wide Christmas fair,
“Festival Days Fair” wasn’t just a financial success, it was a catalyst for deepening community
spirit and strengthening your relationships with one another.

Looking to the future, Christ Episcopal Church faces the kinds of challenges confronting
most communities of faith.  The combination of exhausted endowments and a troubled
economic climate would seem daunting were it not for the tremendous potential that I have
always believed is present in this wonderful parish. My  leave-taking prayer is that you begin
meeting those challenges by welcoming your new Rector with joyous hearts and open arms!
Continue to celebrate the blessings of God’s abundant grace in your lives and ever love one
another as God loves each of you.

I close with a quote that best describes my feelings as I take my leave:

Some people come into our lives and quietly go.
Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts,
and we are never, ever the same.

With every best wish and God’s blessing upon you.

Shalom,

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