Off to see the Wizard!
Beyond coming and going, the biblical story is really more a story of coming and going and returning again. It is as if God takes the thread that is our existence and weaves it in and out in a dialectic that becomes the rich tapestry of our own salvation history. Perhaps one could speak of many Advents and Ascensions, or of the progressive story of Christmas followed by Good Friday and subsequently Easter; a holy cycle of being, never static but marked by change and renewal.
It seems that the entire church year is concerned with the sanctifying effects of the coming and going and coming again of the divine into the profane. Advent anticipates and Christmas celebrates the coming of Jesus. Epiphany bespeaks the recognition of the incarnation. Lent concludes with the Holy Week observance of the end of Jesus’ life and Easter celebrates his return from the grave. The Feast of the Ascension commemorates the resurrected Jesus’ departure from the earth and Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit. To finish the year, Pentecost ends with the anticipation of the second coming of Christ the King.
So it is with thoughts of going and returning that I address you. As most of you know, I begin a four-month sabbatical beginning next week. Besides thinking about 257 details to divert my attention before my departure, I have also thought about the role of the shaman in various cultures. One of the tasks of the shaman is to separate himself from the community and descend to the realms of the dead or spirit world, in order to attain healing wisdom to bring back to the people. In some ways I think this is an appropriate metaphor for the priest on sabbatical; a holy separation for the health of the community.
In order to be a healing or redemptive presence in the community, the priest, as spiritual leader, needs to step away from the community to commune with and drink deeply from the realm of the spirit. Out of time, out of pocket, out of the quotidian demands of ordinary life, the clergy exercise their consecrated ability to re-explore and re-experience the divine. To the outside observer, it may look self-indulgent. But those who are familiar with the biblical record know that even Jesus frequently ‘went missing’ in order to have time alone, to commune with his God. Abraham expressed his faith by following God’s leading into parts unknown. It is faith that opens our lives to the ever-new experience of God’s transformative leading.
So, yes, I am going. This Sunday, January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany, will be my last Sunday until May at All Saints. I have been so encouraged by the responses I have received from many people in and near the congregation. Calls and letters of support and encouragement have come from unexpected places. Sometimes, others see the need before you see it yourself. Other times your actions cause people to think about what is important in their own lives. In any case, things are changing. Already I can feel a difference. As I prepare to leave, I feel there is a renewed spirit in the congregation. In the past few weeks several new people have expressed interest in joining our parish. The faithful have stepped up to take on more responsibility and a sense of our potential feels more and more palpable.
It is with optimism that I hand the parish over to the able leadership of Bishop Richard Grein for these four months. He is a brilliant teacher and a compassionate pastor. He has met with Alexei and Kent and there already seems to be intuitive sense of teamwork and understanding among them. In all the details and serendipity of preparation, it feels like God is preparing both All Saints and me for four months of growth and discovery. We should both expect change and welcome growth. I expect to commune with that Presence that called me to the priesthood and I expect that you will find a deeper appreciation for the joys of being Christ’s body here in this place.
Yes, I am going. But whether I am here or there, I know nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. I hope to see you this Sunday and again upon my return. I expect to discover again that there is no place like home; a home marked by hospitality for the sojourner, support for the seeker, advocacy for the forgotten and transformation for the faithful.
