August Pastoral Letter

Dear Friends,

For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

On May 1, I went away for 3 months. It was a season of sabbatical and a time to vacation. Before I left, I wrote in my pastoral letter “Shalom” as a blessing, and throughout my time away I prayed for you–to have the fulness of “shalom” as peace, harmony, well-being, and tranquility. 

On July 31, I ended my sabbatical and returned to the church. It was time to begin a new season. I began by attending the Jazz/BBQ Fest to enjoy the food and fellowship with people I know and love and missed. I said, “Hello! It is good to be back!” I was amazed to see the set up, the food, the drinks, the servers, the gift baskets, the jazz band, the games, and all the people, oh my! In that moment, I realized how proud I was of you–to carry on the work of the church–and how thankful I was for your faithfulness. 

I look forward to hearing more about what you did this summer. I hope that you came to church to worship, maybe Bible study or a small group. I hope you had some time to volunteer, maybe with kids in Sunday school or Day camp or serving a meal at the Men’s Shelter. I hope you had some time to travel, maybe to see family you haven’t seen in awhile or a place you have never been. And I hope you had some time to rest, maybe even enjoy some of your own sabbatical time to renew your body, mind, and spirit and that you found some peace and harmony, even tranquility. I look forward to talking with you individually and hearing how you are and how you spent your time this summer.

On August 21, after worship in Fellowship Hall, I will show pictures and share stories of how I spent my sabbatical time. It was a great adventure–from Salisbury, MD to Boston, MA; from Edinburgh, Scotland to London, England; from Wilmington, DE to Seneca Falls, NY. It was a time to explore and discover and make memories. It was also a time to plant a garden and sit on our back porch and enjoy time with family at home. It was a time to remember old stories, tell familiar stories, and write new stories. Throughout the summer, it was a time of feeling grateful and at peace.  

As I return to the church, I say again “Shalom” because it represents our trust that God will provide for our needs so that we can take a day of rest in our busy lives each week or even some time each day to appreciate what we have and give thanks for our blessings. That is what I did and what I hope you did some of this summer. And that is what I hope we will continue to do as a community of faith, together living into God’s calling–to bring Christ to our community and bring our community to Christ. Throughout our work and life together, I hope that we will find that deep shalom peace and well-being as we continue to trust in these words:

God has made everything suitable for its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).   

Shalom,  

Pastor Donna