A Sabbatical Reflection from the Senior Warden
But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he
would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is
coming at an unexpected hour. – Luke 12:39-40
Some reflections just kind of write themselves.
Because, really, what have I, and the sabbatical committee, the church staff, and others who
lead this congregation been doing for the past several months but getting ready? And not just
the leaders, but all of us in the congregation have been readying our hearts to be without our
much-loved rector and family for a time, even as we wish them Godspeed. Fr. Grey’s sabbatical
is the biggest change at Memorial since COVID, but unlike that cataclysmic alteration of our
world, we knew this one was coming. So we could prepare. And we did.
We formed a sabbatical committee, whose members have been systematically examining all
the duties and ministries that need to continue in Grey’s absence. We have a constantly
evolving spreadsheet to help us keep track of all the moving pieces. Who’s preaching each of
the fourteen Sundays of the sabbatical? Who will be our celebrant? What will be the youth
formation curriculum? Who’s going to write the weekly reflections in the newsletter? Who will
work with Candice in the church office on the service bulletins? Who will respond to issues
related to our building and grounds? Who will make sure Pierre has supplies for coffee hour?
Who’s the tech guru (and by the way, why is our wi-fi connectivity so persnickety, and what
should we do about that?)? What does the staff need from us in order to continue to do their
best work and feel valued? How do we assure that we are communicating what is happening?
The staff has been examining its procedures and processes, looking at ways to better organize,
and clearly defining each person’s role, while they continue their day-to-day work.
Those who lead our worship services have been looking at what’s needed to keep them
humming, and people have been acquiring new skills. Zoom skills. Technology skills. Reviving a
practice we haven’t used for some time, the offering of communion from the reserved
sacrament.
The Justice and Reparations Initiative continues to study our neighborhood needs, and
uncovers new opportunities where our funding will make a real difference in people’s lives.
The preparations have run the gamut from the complex to the mundane. Clearly, we took
Luke’s admonition seriously. No way was Memorial Church going to be caught off guard. And
because we wouldn’t, things would go smoothly. Well…
This past weekend, Deacon Natalie fell, and hurt her back. Not seriously, we think. But injuries
of this kind take a bit of time to heal, and rest is the primary treatment. Like the thief in the
night, her accident caught us while we were sleeping, so to speak. We were counting on her to
preach and give us communion this coming Sunday – it was on the spreadsheet, for heaven’s
sake!—and she won’t be able to do that, nor lead the Tuesday morning Peace and Justice
service.
Perhaps I was a bit smug in my belief that all this preparation would shield us (well, me) from
the unexpected. Because, while God wants us to keep ourselves ready, for Jesus to come again,
busily going about the tasks that we think are important to God does not guarantee that
unwelcome events will not occur. It’s pretty much guaranteed that they will.
God does promise us, though, of God’s faithful presence, accessible through prayer, and
apparent in beloved community. And that is what I found when I took a deep breath, said a
quick prayer, and looked around me. Natalie might have been sidelined, temporarily, but we
still had diocesan resources to help us find replacement clergy. We still had a vibrant and
connected congregation with established relationships that could be drawn upon at just such a
time as this, with skills developed from lifetimes in faithful service. A living God, evidenced by
God’s church, sees us through when best-laid plans fall short.
The upshot of all this is that the Rev. Jim Holmes, a friend of Memorial for at least as long as I
have been here, and an inspiring witness of God’s word, will preach and celebrate this Sunday.
Please come and welcome him back, and join in prayer for Natalie’s healing. Oh, and the Peace
and Justice service will be just fine, too. Pam Fleming will lead Morning Prayer, and Steve
Howard will handle remote worship technology.
Thanks be to God.
Bill Roberts, Senior Warden