"For Everything There Is A Season..." (my final "Notes from the Journey" article)

The book of Ecclesiastes says, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” We have now arrived at the season for saying goodbye. Six years ago, when I first arrived at Plymouth to preach my “candidate” sermon and you called me to come be your pastor, I didn’t know how long I would be here, although it was clear that I was closer to the end of my career than the beginning. As someone said to me recently, “We knew you weren’t a spring chicken.” That having been said, it feels like it has been a good run, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have shared this time with you. And now things are winding down. This will be my last “Notes from the Journey” article as your Pastor. In a few short weeks I will be preaching my final sermon. Then a new chapter will begin, for me and for you. There is simply not enough time, nor enough words, to adequately express all that I am feeling right now – excitement at the new possibilities unfolding before me, sadness to be saying goodbye to so many good and caring people, relief in letting go of the responsibilities I’ve been carrying (especially in this last very challenging year), delight at the prospect of being in close proximity with my beloved partner after so much time apart, and humility at the amazing honor it has been to be your pastor these past few years and to so many more over the past 40 years. In these final few days, as I prepare to take my leave of you, please know that I am more grateful than I can say. I look forward to sharing just a bit more time together before the last goodbye. And then…we will just have to see where life takes us. A couple of months ago, right after I announced my retirement, I wrote a poem which I titled “A Retirement Poem.”

what comes next?

the first things

that come to mind are

rest & play & family

a time to grow more fully

into who I am becoming

after that we shall see

what comes next

Thank you.

- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)

It takes the whole congregation . . .

I am grateful for the leadership I see all around me here at Plymouth. Your Church Council is taking care of business with skill and grace, even in the face of the many challenges now before us (Covid, the upcoming transition, etc). The members of the new Interim Pastoral Search Committee willingly responded to the invitation to serve, and have already begun their important and sacred work. Others step up to take on whatever tasks and responsibilities present themselves. To paraphrase a familiar saying, “It takes a whole congregation to be the Church.” This is particularly important in these days in which we find ourselves. As I engage in conversations with folks about my upcoming retirement, one of the things I’ve been saying is that it is my intention to be here until I’m not. I am still the pastor at Plymouth Congregational Church UCC in Helena, Montana until July 1st. There is still important work to be done, and I will continue to stay engaged in those efforts. At the same time, things are changing (as they always do). Every day I am reminded of aspects of the life of Plymouth that are no longer my responsibility. The work of the Interim Search Committee is a good example. It is important that I not be involved in those efforts. The responsibility of caring about and planning for the future of the congregation has now passed into other hands and hearts. That is as it should be, and it also leaves me feeling a bit disoriented. I have spent almost 2/3 of my life actively involved in the business of shepherding congregations. Letting go of that mantle will take some getting used to. And because I have absolute confidence that God is in the midst of all of this, I trust that the future (yours and mine) will unfold in marvelous, amazing, and surprising ways. In the meantime, even as that future begins to unfold, I am with you for a while longer yet, and I intend to do my best to enjoy every moment. Things are changing and will continue to do so, but for now I am still here, and I am grateful.

- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)

Change . . .

It has been said that the only constant in life is change. That certainly seems to be true right now in my life and in the life of Plymouth. As you will read elsewhere in this newsletter, there are several significant changes unfolding right now. I have announced my retirement, effective July 1st; Allison Rowland, our Office Manager, has resigned; and we have resumed in-person worship in our sanctuary. In each of these developments there are aspects which will feel unsettling, and may elicit a sense of concern. And there are also opportunities for celebration. So much depends on the attitudes and perspectives we bring to the situation. When we remember that in every moment of our journey through this life we are accompanied by Sacred Presence then we stand a better chance of allowing light and love and trust to shape our experiences. In his letter to the Church in Rome, the Apostle Paul wrote, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to God’s purpose.” Please note that Paul does not say that all things are good. He is reminding us that when we allow God to expand our perspective we begin to discover fresh new possibilities for experiencing abundant living. In the next few months, as these changes continue to take shape, I invite you to join me in praying for the faith to step boldly into the future to which God is calling us, trusting that the path will be revealed in ways beyond our wildest imagining. I look forward to walking this path with you for yet a little while longer.

- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)

A New Day is Dawning

This month marks a year since the COVID-19 pandemic began to dramatically altered the landscape of our lives in so many ways, both personally and as a community. Each of us have approached the situation and been impacted by it in our own unique ways, but none of us has been untouched by it. My sense is that there is a pervasive underlying grief welling up inside of us, the depth of which we are only just beginning to recognize. We have all done the best we knew how in making choices which would balance keeping us safe with keeping us connected. There have been no perfect options, which is, of course, always true. So, here we are, a year later, still struggling with those choices and feeling the cumulative weight of what the past many months have wrought. What I know is that we are stronger because we are not alone. Even though our in-person contact has been severely limited, there remains a strong sense of being connected in community. And through it all there has been a profound experience of God’s Presence flowing in, among, and through us. There is light emerging. A new day is dawning. Winter is slowly giving way to Spring. Easter is coming. It will probably not look like we expect it to look. God’s gifts seldom do. And that is a good thing, because God is not limited by our expectations or even our imagination. I remain hopeful. We need to continue being vigilant in taking the precautions which seem prudent, and at the same time I believe we can look with excited anticipation to the new day which is coming. Transformation is already underway. The sunrise will be glorious.

- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)

We Are Not Alone

It’s been almost a year since the Covid-19 pandemic dramatically altered our lives. It can be difficult to remember those days when our daily routines didn’t include quarantines, masks, large quantities of hand-sanitizer, and the extra caution involved in a simple trip to the grocery store. We thought it would all be over in a few weeks or months, and we would just breathe a sigh of relief and return to normal. But hundreds of thousands of deaths, and millions of infections later, we are still learning how to cope with this painful and challenging reality. The experience weighs heavy on us in ways which we are only beginning to recognize. For many of us, the desire for simple human contact can seem overwhelming. All of us continue to stumble along, doing the best we know how to navigate this uncharted landscape. And because of the isolation that has become a part of our daily experience, it can seem as if we are on our own in this endeavor. But that is not true. I remain convinced, perhaps more strongly now than ever before in my life, that we are, in fact, deeply, profoundly, intrinsically connected with each other, because we are deeply, profoundly, intrinsically connected with Sacred Presence. God’s Spirit flows over, around, and through everything and all of us. We are not alone – not now, not ever. Our connection does not always take the forms we might wish. Hugs aren’t happening at the moment. In-person worship is on hold. But there has always been more to life than meets the eye. I remember when Veronica was in the hospital, and we were a long ways away for so many of our family and friends. And yet, they were present in such a profound way nonetheless. Just writing these words brings it all back, and I find myself weeping at the sheer power of the experience. There were moments when I would walk into V’s room and it felt like if I squinted my eyes just right I would be able to see their shining presence surrounding us. That same reality is available to us now. It is always available to us. We will get through this. And we will do it together. Circumstances will change. There will be hugs, and in-person worship, and parties, and so much more. But before, during, and after all of that, we are still connected. Keep reaching out. We are not in this alone.

- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)

Chaos, Upheaval, & the Light of God

On Tuesday I wrote my “Notes from the Journey” article for the January Waymarks. It was a reflection around the theme of the new year dawning. I tried to balance looking back at the dramatic and tumultuous year just past with a hopeful look ahead because God has been and continues to be present with us. I wrote, “We can’t always (or hardly ever) control what happens to us, but we can choose how we will respond, and when our response is shaped by an awareness that God is with us then we are well on our way to a fuller, richer, more abundant experience of life.” And I concluded by saying, “Happy New Year everyone! I am so excited to find out what is even now unfolding!”

That was on Tuesday. And then Wednesday happened and we all witnessed the chaotic and violent upheaval which unfolded in the very heart of our national government. I still believe everything I wrote on Tuesday, but the events of Wednesday cry out for something more. What shall I say? I am dismayed beyond words that it has all come to this. I feel outraged, but even more I feel profoundly sad. And there is a sense of everything swirling out of control on a scale that I can barely begin to grasp. What we are witnessing is frightening and threatens to shake us to the very core. And yet, I also know that we have access to something far greater than the darkness which seems so ominous. As I wrote in an email I sent to the congregation, “In this moment there is little we can do, but what we can do is powerful. I invite you to be in prayer – for our nation, for our leaders, for law enforcement and National Guard personnel, for all those in harm’s way. Please join me in praying for peace, and calm, and safety for all. May order be restored and justice embraced. May our leaders be blessed with wisdom and courage as they stand to take appropriate and necessary action. May love and understanding and compassion and peace restore sanity to our world.”

I do not know how all of this will play out. We are in uncharted waters. But what I do know is that we are not on our own. God is not through with us yet. There is a path forward, even if we cannot yet see more than a few inches in front of us in this moment. In the days and weeks and months ahead I invite you to be in prayer with me that God’s Light might illuminate our way, shine in our lives, and heal our world, beginning with us. As we step into this new year, may the crisis we are currently facing prompt all of us to recommit ourselves to finding a better way – a way which is shaped and defined by the sacred values of peace and love and compassion and understanding and mutual respect. Please be in prayer with me that we will allow God to guide our steps into a brighter future, for our community, our nation, and our world.

- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)

Advent: a Time for Paying Attention

 

We are now in the season of Advent – the time in the life of the Church that leads us to Christmas. It is a season marked by themes of watching, waiting, and preparing. Another way to put it might be that it is a time to practice paying attention. While it is true that God is always present in our lives and in our world, it is also true that we human beings have a tendency to get distracted and forget to notice. So along comes Advent to remind us that if we will pay attention we can increase the likelihood of noticing God’s ongoing activity which is happening around us and within us in every moment. This year, perhaps more than most, this practice of paying attention can make a huge difference. 2020 has been a year which seems to have been filled with ten years worth of challenges. The pandemic has disrupted and upended so much of what we use to call “normal”, along with political turmoil, rising racial tensions, and a growing awareness of the scale of the climate crisis we are facing. As we behold all that seems to be unfolding and unraveling right before our eyes, it is easy to get lost in anxiety, fear, and grief. In these days of Advent I invite you to slow down and pay attention. We need not ignore the challenges which we face. They are real, and they are important, but they are not the whole picture. There is also beauty, and kindness, and compassion. There is connection, and community, and love. God’s active presence among us can be noticed and experienced in so many countless ways when we pay attention. What we will discover is that we are not alone, and we are not on our own. There are opportunities for healing and wholeness and abundance just waiting to embrace us. And the adventure begins the moment we open our eyes, and our arms, and our hearts, and our lives to the Sacred Presence which infuses every corner of our world. Join me on this wonderful Advent journey as we begin to notice. 

- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)