Pastor's Column for Messenger

Random notes from the pastor’s desk.

• At the most recent meeting of National Capital Presbytery, several things happened of interest to Saint Mark folks. Our Associate Pastor LeAnn Hodges was received as a member of Presbytery and our seminary intern, Jennifer Thalman-Kepler was approved to be a candidate for ordination. In addition, the Presbytery voted to concur with an overture from Holston Presbytery requesting General Assembly to celebrate the mission “Living Waters for the World” and view the video. This came as a result of the session of Saint Mark putting forth this resolution to the Presbytery. Our member, Pam Gunn, who is also a member of the board of directors of Living Waters for the World, will be the overture advocate at the General Assembly this summer. The Saint Mark mission to Haiti in February 2007 worked with Living Waters. An overture submitted by John Wimberly (Western), Currie Burris (Silver Spring) and me asking the General Assembly to be a voice for victims of violence in both Israel and Palestine, and asking everyone in the PCUSA to become a non-partisan advocate for peace, was approved and will go to the General Assembly. Other overtures urged more action by the PCUSA to stop gun violence and encouraged Presbyterians to take seriously invitations to engage in interfaith dialogue with Muslims. Our elders commissioners were Pamela Witcher, Kay Haynes and Ellie Hagner. Elders Gerald Aldridge and Louise Winfield were also present. 

• The celebration of Pentecost this year falls on May 11 which is  Mother’s Day. There is no liturgical connection between the two events but if you are looking for one it may be birth. Pentecost is often celebrated as the birth of the Church when the Spirit descended with tongues of fire upon the fearful followers of Jesus making them bold and confident witnesses to God’s love in Jesus Christ for all people. In some traditions, the Spirit is viewed as the womb of God from which the community of faith was born again to a new way of life that broke down all the barriers that divided people. It’s a big stretch to connect this with gratitude for our mothers but what about Mother Church? In light of the Pope’s visit to our fair city, maybe we can dust off the term for a day, (even if we disagree on just what mother church means.) More importantly, I hope you will come with your whole family, including your mother, dressed in red, to celebrate the coming of the Spirit to the Church. The point of the celebration is not to dwell on the past but to open ourselves to the same Spirit of holiness that we might be a bold community of witnesses to God’s gracious love for all people, by our words and our deeds. (By the way, if you were wondering, the Pope’s red shoes are symbolic of the fire of the Spirit. I rather like them but I doubt mine will be handmade leather ones from Northern Italy.)

• Last month, I joined elder Kay Haynes at the Gala event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Manna Food Center, fighting hunger and feeding hope in Montgomery. Saint Mark was honored as one five Hunger Heroes for our generous financial support as well as our most recent ministry, Food First Sunday, in which we collect food for Manna on the first Sunday of each month and serve at the center after worship. The other recipients included Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, EU Services, Sodexo, and Whole Foods Market. 

• On May 4, following the 11:00 AM worship, I will host a conversation for those who would like to know about my sabbatical which will be June 1 to August 31. If you would like to know what I am doing, or how to support LeAnn Hodges’ pastoral ministry while I’m away, please join me for the conversation. Elder Lucy Leuchtenburg is helping with the lunch provisions, so please let us know if you plan to attend.  

• The Sanctuary Enhancement team has been working steadily and it is likely that Tom Kearns, the Architect, will be ready with a report for session and congregation in May. This will give the congregation ample opportunity to have conversation over the summer before any recommendations are put forward. This is an exciting, challenging moment for our congregation.

Grace to you and peace…..

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Pastor's Column for April Messenger

Last month I spent a couple of days with forty-eight clergy from around the country and various denominations, all of whom are serving as congregational pastors, chaplains or campus ministers. Each of us received a grant from the Louisville Institute of the Lilly Endowment for a sabbatical. We were gathered together for an orientation that would help us prepare well so that our congregations might also enjoy the benefits from a good sabbatical for their pastor

Let me say a word about the Louisville Institute and about my grant proposal that was funded by them. Founded in 1990 as a center for research on and leadership development for North American Religion, the Louisville Institute is funded by the Lilly Endowment and is based at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. In its Sabbatical Grants for Pastoral Leaders program they awarded forty-eight grants from a pool of 350 applicants from United States and Canada. 

This particular program is designed to enable pastor leaders to have the opportunity for a sustained period of reflection and study apart from the weekly rhythms and tasks of their work. It is the hope of the Louisville Institute that such time apart will strengthen and deepen the habits of heart and mind so crucial to the faithful practices of pastoral leadership–habits that are too often neglected under the daily and weekly demands of congregational life. This level of pastoral reflection will contribute significantly to the ongoing efforts of the Louisville Institute to identify the particular challenges facing pastors and congregations in the midst of North American cultural life. The funds from my grant, and the (unexpected) financial gift from friends and church members celebrating my ordination, will cover all sabbatical related expenses.

My project is entitled Living from the Center: Restoring the Heart of the Pastoral Vocation. 

This time away from the congregation will be a sustained occasion for vocational renewal through the intentional practices that contribute to a God centered life: contemplative prayer, scripture reading, theological reflection and disciplined writing. Living in a cabin in Estes Park, Colorado, from June 1 to August 31, I will give deliberate attention to the classical sources of the pastoral vocation, cultivating the practices of a God-centered life and writing a collection of daily meditations and prayers. Taking care of our bodies is a good spiritual practice; so, yes, of course, I’ll hike and bike, and revel in the beauty of God’s creation and even get some sleep. (Maybe I’ll send a photo from atop Longs Peak!) My wife and children will also have an extended visit during the summer. While I’m away, under LeAnn Hodges’ leadership, the congregation will be invited to participate in contemplative practices and selected readings to strengthen our common commitment to live a God-centered life while serving our neighbors. I will spend one week each month at St. Benedict’s Monastery for spiritual guidance. I also plan to send back a monthly letter, dispatches from the heart that will keep us connected pastorally and give you some sense of what is happening in my life.

During the two days at the Louisville Institute our leader was Eugene Peterson, Presbyterian pastor and writer who is well-known as the author of The Message a Bible in contemporary language. It’s a rare occasion when clergy can gather together for prayer, worship and reflection without anxious debates and with no agenda greater than learning to be honest leaders of ordinary congregations filled with ordinary human beings. This was just the occasion. 

Peterson reminded us again of the “holiness of congregations” and encouraged leaders to hear the stories of the people, listening for the Spirit in ordinary lives. He gently urged us to pray daily with the goal of seeing the face of God in everyone, even as Jacob saw the face of God in his former enemy Esau. I came away from these two days refreshed; glad to be a pastor and renewed in my calling to serve you by attending faithfully to the essential tasks of pastoral ministry among you. It occurs to me that this was a mini-sabbatical and that the benefits from it may be similar to those that come from a longer one.

During the next couple of months I will continue working with session, deacons, personnel ministry and LeAnn Hodges to ensure a smooth transition in my absence. I’ll also be putting together a brochure on the benefits of sabbaticals for congregations and pastors. I welcome your questions and comments, and especially your prayers.
May your Easter season be blessed!