Sabbatcial Leave Taking.

Litany of Leave Taking   

Litany of Leave Taking: Adapted from the writing of Rev. Bart Kelso written for the sabbatical sendoff of Rev. Stacy Swain on Sunday, July 26, 2020 at The Union Church In Waban, United Church of Christ in Newton Mass

Benediction adapted from the writing of Rev. Eric Elnes found here:                          https://www.facebook.com/eric.elnes/posts/10159825106481907

All: We bring before you Holy One, our sister in Christ, our Pastor and friend, Carly Stucklen Sather. We send her on sabbatical with our earnest prayers, asking your blessing upon her, and upon this congregation that she serves.

Council: May this sabbatical be for Carly a time of adventure and discovery. May her travels introduce her to people and places new to her but known to you.

All: Guide her steps, O God. May she know your accompanying presence on each journey and find you waiting for her, welcoming her, at each destination.

Council: May Carly enjoy, in this time away: a release from responsibilities, a child-like curiosity, and a thorough refreshment of body, mind and spirit.

All: “Come to me,” says Christ, “all you that are weary and are carrying heaven burdens, and I will give you rest…for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt 11: 28 &30)

Council: Grant to her, Gracious God, times of reading, times of play, times of deep contemplation, of rich conversation, of both leisurely dreaming and focused reflection. And enable her to gaze in wonder at the beauty of your creation.

All: “O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Ps. 8:1). “O Lord, how manifold are your Works! In wisdom you have make them all; the earth if full of your creatures.” (Ps. 104:24)

Council: Hear your servant when she prays to you, Holy God. Help her to worship you freely, whether in multitude of in solitude, joy or sorrow, in strength or in weakness. Watch over her and draw her close to yourself.

All: “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. Come into God’s presence with singing.” (Ps. 100:1-2). “I will sing of loyalty and of justice; to you, O Lord. I will sing.” (Ps. 101:1).

Carly: I leave you in the care of our church’s leaders – Council Leaders Tom Lowry, Jean OBrien, Erik Toman, Sherri Ries, Deborah Gardiner, and Brian Kasnick, and capable staff, Ryan Cox, Stephanie McCullough, Ginger Scarborough, AnnLaura Tapia. They will steward the gifts and graces of this community of faith in my absence.  I pass to Jennifer Burney the mantel of caring. She will lead you in caring for one another in my absence.

All: Let God, the God of the spirits of everyone living, set them over this community to lead us, to show the way ahead and bring us  so God’s community will not be like sheep without a shepherd. (Numbers27:16-17)

Carly: Friends, hear these words from the Apostle Paul to Christ’s people in Corinth. Let them be my word to you as well as God’s: “Finally brothers and sisters, goodbye. Be cheerful. Keep things in good repair. Keep your spirits up. Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure. The amazing grace of the Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.” (1 Corinthians 13: 11&14, The Message).

All: “You shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace.” (Isaiah 55: 12a). God below you, God before you and behind you, God everywhere you turn and within you. Amen

Choral Response:        Aaron's Blessing         Walter Rodby sung by the Chancel Choir

Sending:  

All: May the Spirit of the Living God

Go before you to show you the way;

Go above you to watch over you;

Go behind you to push you into places you would not necessarily go yourself;

Go beneath you to uphold and uplift you;

Go beside you to be your strong and constant companion; and

Dwell within you to remind you that you are surely not alone on life’s journey, and that you are loved - loved beyond your wildest imagination.

Carly: And may the fire of God’s blessing burn brightly upon you, within you, and through you, now and always.

All: Amen 

I'm Leaving! Sabbatical Begins!

Portions of this article are quoted or adapted from the writing of Rev. Leah Robberts-Mosser who shared a pastors tasks on Facebook.  Found here.Here

 Beginning Tuesday, February 1,  I will be on sabbatical through May 14. I’d like to take a moment to write about what pastors do, about sabbaticals and why it's a good that pastors have them. 

A friend in this congregation said to me shortly after meeting him, "You have the hardest job," This was not a reflection about this or any other congregation. It is a delight to lead, teach, and minister among each and all of you....I love being your pastor and being in mutual ministry with you. Still, even when you are pastoring a congregation you love and that works so well together, pastoring is still the hardest job. 

This friend gave a couple of reasons for his perspective: Pastors have to wear many hats: CEO and janitor, caregiver and boundary setter, financial guru and fund raiser, evangelist and moral conscience in the community, and activist for “the least of these," cheerleader, truth-teller, entrepreneur, and--in these days—midwife to new ways to exist as a community of faith. 

Being a pastor is emotionally taxing. We have to hold different boundaries with the people that are completely different than those of anyone else in the helping field.  

• With tender hearts we listen to you talk about your anxiety and anger, your addictions, and your affairs. 
• We sit with a parent to help explain to their child that their other parent has died. 
• We remind you that you are forgiven even when you cannot forgive yourself, even when others refuse to do the same, especially then. 
• We are the person you talk to when you don't know where else to turn. 
• We figure out whom to call when you don't know who to call. 
• We sit in hospital rooms, funeral parlors, emergency rooms, and ordinary rooms where unspeakably awful things have happened. 
• We show up with grace and cups of coffee and sometimes those things are exactly same. 
• We hold your broken hearts in our hands and try to patch them up with the love of God. 
• We do patch jobs on poverty when desperate folks call or drop by the church. We fill gas tanks and buy diapers, pay prescription costs.
• Sometimes pastors witness your rage....sometimes it gets projected at us, especially when there are things you cannot control or do not understand. We have to learn to differentiate, and heal our own brokenness too. 

And we do these things discreetly.... never drawing attention to those helped or ourselves. We are on call 24/7, 365 days a year. Even on days off and on vacations, we get texts, emails, and calls about church – like “is it time to go virtual again?”.

It's not all broken hearts, though. Sometimes we get to witness your joy.  

• We're often the first to sing over your newborn child
• We bless your adoptions
• We officiate at your weddings
• We celebrate graduations and new jobs
• We celebrate anniversaries and birthdays with you.

In between preaching, laughing with the children, and pastoring, we brainstorm and trouble shoot. We lead and support the staff, work to keep the staff, and work to find new staff members when something doesn’t work out. We run the numbers, choose the resources, and train and coach volunteers. And then pastors show up to remind everyone that we are the Body of Christ and we are loved, endlessly. 

We do all of these things every week while trying to think theologically and frame current events in terms of our collective faith, while experiencing these events in real time. We are often only one step away from the surge, and sometimes it nips at our heels. We're lucky if that's all it does. 

And, in today's post-Christian era, we do all this with a fraction of the resources our predecessors had. Denominations are dying out -- we're having to create systems of support that were standard issue not so long ago. 

This is the work of pastoring people, God's beloved, made-in-God's-own-image messy, impossible, endlessly loved people. It is unlike any other work. This "odd and wondrous calling" is such a gift. And it's a weighty one.

And it is exhausting!  COVID has made this all the more challenging. Pastors have had to do "on the job" retraining to learn how to record or live stream, edit videos, and broadcast worship.  We've had to invent new ways of caring for the members of the congregation and help them keep connected to one another.  We've learned new technology like Zoom and Facebook Live.  We've learned how to teach confirmation with no students in the room, and lead communion while the sanctuary is empty.  All while dealing with our own loss of connection, family challenges, death of loved ones, and exhaustion.  It is no wonder that there are more people leaving ministry outside of retirement than at any other time.  Or, to put that another way, young pastors are leaving ministry  in droves AS WELL AS people who are retirement age. This going to lead to a huge shortage of clergy for churches that survive this panDAMNit.    

Sabbaticals are designed to allow pastors an extended period of time in order to regain the sacred rhythm of rest. For me, this sabbatical means that I can turn off my "minister's brain" and do something completely unrelated to ministry, something for me, myself, and I -- something that I've always wanted to do but could never make/take the time to do.  Getting away for a long enough time to rebuild the roof of my life, and stabilize the professional and emotional beams that hold up the walls of my living. Learning to be fluent in Spanish, and walking the El Camino both promise to renew my brain, heal my spirit, and revitalize my passion for ministry.

Sabbaticals are designed to allow congregations to stretch their wings and be self-directing.  For FCCLG, this means hearing a great variety of preachers, actively participating in the ministry of administration, thinking of new ways and new places to do the work of the church.  It also means that the lay leadership will have to step up and be the church in a more meaningful way, a way that you will discover and carry out.  

And so, I bid you so long for now.  I will post here and on facebook in a one way conversation that will keep you abreast of where I am and what I'm doing.  

Remember that YOU all are the hands, feet, and mind of Christ in this place. You have a calling and a ministry.  Be the church. Renew the faith.  Revitalize the message of God's extravagant grace and abundant love.  

Hasta que nos encontremos de nuevo..... paz.  

Carly

Sabbatical Plans

 

What Will Happen While the Pastor is Away?

The time during which the pastor is away is not “lost time.” It will be an opportunity for the congregation’s renewal as well.  The Lily Foundation Clergy Renewal Grant includes funds for the congregation to experience new ideas, activities, and growth.  From the application, our Moderator wrote of this time:

As a congregation, FCCLG looks outward for clues to guide us into a new generation of mission orientated service. We have noted and appreciate that many of our newest members are eager to give their time and talents towards advancing social justice. That God is still speaking to us on these important issues clearly resonates with our congregants and their children. As Carly has now led us through many administrative and cultural challenges, we are ready to forge ahead into a new phase of worship and mission. During her sabbatical and time of spiritual renewal, we will look to renew the spirit of our church body as well. Relying on guest preachers, fellowship events that focus on a journey of the spirit, retreats and nurture team planned events, we will gain a fresh perspective. …. FCCLG will be prepared to realize our future hopes, dreams, needs and mission. Finally, we will welcome a spiritually and physically refreshed Carly back with open hearts and new vision for our modern generation to Accept All, Reach Out, and Touch Lives.

Sabbatical Congregational Renewal Activities

The January 30, 2022 worship service will include a “sending” liturgy, and the fellowship hour will center around Rest, Renewal, Rejuvenation, and Revitalization. Carly will symbolically pass her stole to Jennifer Burney, our former intern who will share preaching with four ordained clergy, and who will lead members in caring for one another through the Called To Care team.  During the fellowship hour that follows, members of the congregation will be encouraged to bless her on her way.

The congregation will provide for congregational care through the Called To Care Team, and for worship through five preachers: Rev. Douglas Asbury, Jennifer Burney, Rev. Molly Carlson, Marylen Marty-Gentile, and Rev. Carol Ann Munro.   One Sunday in Lent will feature a choral sermon and musical focus instead of preaching.

While Carly is away, the Nurture Team will plan two “Church Family” events where families of every shape and size can gather together for fellowship and learning.  These will be intergenerational activities aimed at bringing friends and families together, including all ages and stages, for fun and fellowship.

The grant also includes funding for the creation of a labyrinth in the church.  We will create the labyrinth in an accessible area of the church (yet to be determined). It will be available for both the community and members to mediate and renew their spirits.

We will engage the expertise of Rev. Brandyn Simmons who will lead members of the congregation in a day long retreat on February 19 and two workshops on March 5, and April 2 on reinventing ministry for the Post Pandemic.  These will include introduction to walking the labyrinth, a journey through appreciative inquiry to find a path to talk about faith, and walk alongside new approaches to being the church.

On May 15, the worship service will include a “welcoming” liturgy with our Intern symbolically returning to Carly her stole; it will be followed by a catered Town Hall Gathering to share stories of the sabbatical and celebrate our pastor’s return.

Summary of Congregational Activities

Two congregational gatherings.

• ·       A Fellowship Hour following worship on January 30
• ·       A Catered Lunch following worship on May 15

Two opportunities for intergenerational activity

• ·       Created and led by the Church Nurture Team
• ·       Intergenerational and Inclusive of all
• ·       Fun, Fellowship, and community building

Three Congregational opportunities led by Rev. Brandyn Simmons –

Rev. Brandyn Simmons is an experienced trail guide for the congregation to explore new spirit songs, new approaches to being the church, and new conduits to mission. An intern’s trailblazing a path to ministry will offer the congregation new outlooks and vistas for faith and practice.

• ·       Praying the Labyrinth
• ·       A Journey Through Appreciative Inquiry as a means to talk about faith
• ·       Walking Along Side New Ways of Being the Church

You can learn more about Brandyn Simmons at https://www.thecrossingchicago.org/who-we-are

Other:

Creation of a walking labyrinth in accessible space in church building.