Dearly Beloved,
There was an unfortunate typo in last week's email that I want to apologize for. The land acknowledgment that I included read "unneeded territory" instead of "unceded territory." These two words mean and communicate vastly different things! I'm so sorry I didn't catch and correct this error and thanks to a very careful reader who not only caught the mistake but was brave enough to communicate with me about the message with the wrong word and how it was harmful instead of honoring (as it had been intended to be). Thanks for your grace when I make mistakes like this.
This week, I'm thinking a lot about preparation, about rest, and about putting things down. I'm also thinking about celebration! As you all know, I'm finalizing preparations for my sabbatical, the bulk of which is June 9 - August 25. I'm not going to list all the things -- personal and professional -- that need to get done before I leave, but as you can imagine it's quite a list. Slowly but surely and with an amazing team of people around me, it's all getting done.
I'm so grateful for the Lilly Clergy Renewal Grant that is allowing us to pay our sabbatical interim Delaney Beh (they/them) to be here full-time for the entirety of my time away as well as the week leading up to it and the week after it. They will:
- Lead worship every Sunday,
- Preach every other Sunday,
- Lead Lectio Divina every Tuesday,
- Lead an adult education study,
- have office hours 9-1 on Wednesdays,
- have coffee, lunch, or a conversation with you,
- visit you in the hospital, at home, or wherever else you need their pastoral care,
- preside at funerals and weddings with the support of Rev. Elizabeth Endicott,
- be here to walk with our congregation, sharing our joys and concerns, celebrations and sorrows!
I'm also so very grateful for the grant covering my family's trip back to Southern Africa. It will be the first time I've been back to Zimbabwe in a quarter of a century (that somehow sounds longer than 25 years) and the first time I've been back to Mfanefile in 35 years! What a gift to be able to share some of those places and people with my children!
If you have any questions about my sabbatical, please don't hesitate to reach out to me! Let's have a conversation before June 9th!
I'm also so very grateful to be able to go to Costa Rica again this week -- it will be a week of rest, renewal, reading, writing and reconnecting with the Holy Spirit within and in creation! Thank you for your prayers!
Finally, I want to thank our Vision & Ministry Discernment Committee for their deep listening! I hope you have received the email version of our Statements of Purpose (Identity, Mission, and Vision statements). We will be focusing on each part of the mission statement (spiritual growth, deep social connection, compassionate service, and mindful stewardship) in our worship these next few weeks. The team even wrote some new lyrics to a favorite hymn of mine: "Be Thou My Vision" to accompany these statements of purpose! I hope you'll plan to participate (in person or online) in our May 18th congregational meeting when we'll get to vote on these statements.
Even in the midst of so much loss, chaos, confusion, and uncertainty in our wider world, we have so much to celebrate as a congregation and community of faith. That sounds a little bit like the gospel to me.
In gratitude, love and hope,
Thandiwe
