Dear All,
Today we are celebrating Trinity Sunday with our worship and barbecue at Frances Moore Park. Trinity Sunday is also known as the First Sunday after Pentecost. Today is also Father’s Day, so Happy Father’s Day to all who have played a fatherly role in their life. We will begin our worship at 10:00am followed by a wonderful potluck accompanied by grilled hot dogs and hamburgers.
I encourage you to read the attached letter from our presiding bishop, Sean Rowe, regarding the events occurring in Los Angeles and surrounding immigration and ICE. It will provide you with a sense of what The Episcopal Church as an institutional entity believes about immigration and recent deportations. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Now . . . as many of you know, I begin my sabbatical July 1st and return on September 21st. This consists of eight (8) weeks of sabbatical and three (3) weeks of vacation. Sabbatical leaves are part of a clergyperson’s letter of agreement and are understood as a time away from the normal 24/7 ministerial responsibilities for an extended period of time for rest, reflection and study. A portion of my time will be spent on administrative tasks which include going through old files and discerning what to keep, what to archive, and what to shred. I will also be looking at our policies and by-laws so as to discern what needs to be updated, added or removed.
Sabbatical leave is not an opportunity to see where the grass might be greener . . . no job hunting. But as I age and near retirement age, it is a chance to also discern what are possible new steps in that journey. But no worries for now, I will return rested and ready for our life together.
God has blessed our congregation with many capable leaders, both lay and staff. The Vestry becomes the Ecclesiastical authority while the Rector is absent. Your well-qualified Vestry will handle the administrative, building facilities, programmatic and other tasks involved in the day-to-day operations. I know they will be working on the pledge drive and new web-site design and other such items. The wardens will be connected to staff to insure they are getting the support they need as they perform their regular tasks. SO . . . your wardens, Dave Parks and Larry Clark, are your go to people if you have questions, concerns, complaints, etc. They also may ask for your assistance. Please be willing to assist when needed. The staff are not going to take on additional responsibilities while I am away, so please be good to them and perhaps ask if they need any assistance.
I have complete confidence in our vestry, staff and all of you. The stained-glass folks will be here for an extended period of time so have fun watching (from the outside) as things change with our clerestory windows. Liturgy tasks including Sunday worship, will be covered by The Rev. Dick Hamlin and The Very Rev. Gail Shafer, both of whom you know well. Gail will also be providing pastoral coverage for any pastoral needs. They do not have responsibilities in any other area – that is for the Vestry!
Please feel free to ask me any questions regarding the Sabbatical. Now … please continue your prayer life; for your family, yourself, your community and our government. Also, please pray for the many people who have lost their lives in the plane crash in India.
Blessings to you and yours,
Karen+