There was an ad in the Berkshire Eagle Tuesday for a book called, “Mountain Man Insights” (by Henry Kranz). The ad ran a quote from the book, “The handwriting was on the wall. Then the wall collapsed.”
When I gave the Rector’s Report a year ago, I think we were still pretty much in shock. This year although I know we’re all in different places, I think we have moved out of shock and probably out of denial, and into an energetic place of exploration and discernment. We’ve spent, and will continue to spend, countless hours on engineers, architects, attorneys, building inspectors, and insurance people. Much of the rest of this meeting will be about that.But in addition to these things, I am amazed and very proud of the discernment work and the new ministries that have started blossoming this year. I’m also proud of the way we have “carried on” in the midst of our stressful situation.
During the homily, I spoke some about the discernment work. This work has been greatly augmented by our participation in the Partnership for Missional Church (PMC). This process is teaching us new ways of listening to each other, the community, and the Spirit. I think the impact of what we are learning will be lasting on the way we are together and make decisions as a parish. It is such a relief to try to be the Church in a spiritual instead of a secular way! What good news that we are in God’s hands and God has work for us to do that’s part of God’s own mission!
For me personally there is a great sense of joy and a realization that three seemingly different parts of my own journey have come together and been integrated this year as St. James goes through our corporate discernment process.
Those 3 things from my journey are: 1. My 10-year study of Adaptive Challenges in the Clergy Leadership Project. 2. The Ignation spiritual discernment which I’ve used in the past, but only for personal decision making. 3. The PMC process.
In this report, I’d like to highlight a few of this year’s new ministries. On Friday night I received an email from Jake Pinkston, our teaching missioner in Honduras:
“Hey Francie, I realize this is a little late for the annual meeting but I figured since I am sort of on the payroll, I should give you an update.” Now remember last summer when Jake asked us to help make this mission year possible, he told us he was frugal. Well, here’s an accounting of his year: He received $7,290 in gifts from the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, St. James parishioners, Vestry, rector, and choir and from Transfiguration (the church he attended in Colorado). His total expenses for the first six months were $1,621.68! Now we have a new young missioner Jane Clausen, who is working in an AIDS orphanage in Ethiopia.
These are Children of this parish, and we are just so proud of their choices to give of their time, talent and treasure to help children in some of the poorest parts of our world. And I am proud of you as a congregation for supporting them as they grew up and now with your prayers and monetary gifts as they seek to serve.
Another amazing ministry that began this year is Gideon’s Garden. The idea started with our youth, was nurtured by Pennie Curry, and was generously gifted by Dan and Martha Tawczynski of Taft Farms. With our 1/3 acre of land and a lot of labor, the youth of our parish and other youth, as well as many adults, supplied an amazing amount of produce for the People’s Pantry, Breaking Bread Kitchen, The Stockbridge Open Table, and about 6 families.
You know we named this Garden for our first full-time rector, Gideon Bostwick (1770-90). Now Gideon had a real missionary spirit, and traveled to 47 towns, riding on horseback 80-100 miles per week to spread the Gospel & baptize people in CT, VT, NY, and MA. I believe this spirit of taking the Gospel out to people and places beyond our walls is part of St. James’ essential DNA. And this Garden we till, that bears his name, seems to have been taken over by the Holy Spirit and become a place where all kinds of people come, not only to work, but to pray. The Garden has become a prayer chapel, a meditation garden, for people who desperately need a place to be safe and quiet. It’s a place to be still and know that God is God. The people who go there may never step foot inside a conventional church, but I believe for them Gideon’s Garden is a “church without walls.” It’s a non-intimidating, safe place where they have a chance to connect with God.
I wonder if there’s not a metaphor here for us as we seek to find our place in God’s mission. How can we in our own day continue to take the Gospel out beyond the walls of the church, as Gideon Bostwick did? As Jake is doing? As Jane is doing?
I want to thank all of you, because we have carried on here at Crissey Farm in fine form. I especially want to acknowledge the choir and our Minister of Music Charles Olegar for bringing us the Good News week after week in song and sometimes even with noisy gongs and clanging symbols! We are indeed blessed by such remarkable, faithful and creative musicians.
And behind the scenes our Parish Secretary Bonnie Weiland continues to work at home to produce our bulletins and coordinate our schedules. Thanks go as well to Fairview Hospital for letting us do most of our copying there, and for hosting our Executive Committee and Vestry meetings.
Now just think about what all it takes to create our worship experience here at Crissey Farm. First our thanks to Gary and Andrew, who make this space available to us. Then there’s our great Hospitality Team, Altar Guild, Ushers, Greeters, Teachers, Lectors, Prayer Writers, Acolytes, Chalice Bearers, Healing Ministers, and those who set up, take down, and clean up. And those yummy coffee hours! And during coffee hour, the amazing Artist of the Month series that showcases our gifted parish.
If you don’t know, we owe our thanks as well to Wheeler & Taylor, who provide a space for our Thursday Eucharist free of charge.
And I want to say thank you to the Vestry for their time, talent, wisdom and dedication during a very difficult year. Finally I want to acknowledge our Executive Team and invite them to come up: Senior Warden Doreen Hutchinson, Junior Warden Doug Happ, Clerk Lee Cheek, and Treasurer Dick Kelly. You cannot begin to imagine the work these four dedicated souls have done this year. As a token of my appreciation, I’d like to present them all with bottles of POM. It’s a de-stressing/detoxifying pomegranate juice and also with Relaxing flavored tea bags…enjoy! We don’t start again until tomorrow! Thank you all.
No comments:
Post a Comment