Passin’ Thru

After somewhere around 20 ministries spread over 37 years, one would expect the goodbye stage to be a cinch. Not so.

Three years is a long time, especially for those who know how precious time really is. For the past (almost) three years, I’ve been a part of your religious community. There have of course been some hard places – interim work, by definition, asks a great deal from our congregations, especially our lay leaders. And there have been plenty of ups, which have fed and encouraged me, personally as well as professionally.

But as with life itself, an interim ministry can’t be reduced to up-and-down ledgers. Matter of fact, an interim ministry often can’t be understood until long after the interim minister has moved on.

My goodbyes to all those congregations have varied, yet all of them can be boiled down to one thing: thank you. So here we go:

Thanks to the seven staff with whom I’ve worked (or an working.). Despite all the chaos and danger of life in the shadow of COVID, you stepped up. Without you, UUFH would’ve fared much worse;

Thanks to the many lay leaders – especially board presidents and members – for walking with me through the constant, confusing  interruptions of what we used to call “normal” at UUFH. Without you, UUFH would’ve wandered far more.

Thanks to those who’ve kept giving despite it all – giving of your precious time, your dollars, your wisdom, your patience, your courage…Without you, UUFH would’ve lost sight of it’s obligation to the future;

Thanks to the kids, youth and their caregivers for hanging in. Without you, UUFH would’ve become stale, focused only on one or two generations;

Thanks in particular to Vicki B. for returning from retirement to shepard a struggling Family Ministries program; and to Colby L. for the months of work on the A/V system and more. Without you, there would’ve been pure confusion about what to do in those two areas;

Thanks to those who’ve allowed me to walk with you through your painful places. You’ve faced down loneliness, addiction, fear, financial challenges, even the death of a beloved. Your struggling has reminded me of what ultimately matters when it comes to congregation life. Without you, I would’ve stayed lost in the minutiae;

Thanks to my family, friends and colleagues that will never read this shout out, but have listened and supported me all along the way. Without you, I’d be alone.

Lastly, thanks to everybody else. You caused me to think, laugh, learn and look at myself. Without you, I’d be the lesser.

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, the final summer of an interim ministry is somewhat different than the previous ones. The goal is to help stabilize things in advance of whatever comes next. Save for pastoral emergencies, and attending a handful of meetings (board, pastoral care, worship and staff) I won’t be doing any of the usual stuff through the end of my contract period, on August 1.

Meantime, be well everybody. Be positive. Be kind.

– Don