The Parish of
St. Mary and St. Jude
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A MESSAGE FROM THE REVEREND, DAVID J. LUCEY F A R E W E L L S Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. Beloved, pray for us. Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all of them. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (I Thessalonians 5:16-28) Partings and farewells are always charged with emotion. Something is ending, even as something is beginning. Most of us find these moments difficult. We like things the way they are and would like them to stay that way. The reality is that things are always changing around us. So, there will always be moments where we must say goodbye to the way things are in order to greet what is new. In the Christian Bible we have more of Paul's goodbyes than anyone else. Certainly the good-bye of Jesus was more dramatic, but its uniqueness makes it difficult to embrace in ourselves. But Paul's farewells were common and encompassed communities where he was loved and he loved, communities whom he had never met, and communities where he had difficulty. The above quote comes from Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, a community who embraced the Gospel of Christ Jesus that Paul proclaimed when arrived in that place battered and worn from his time in Philippi. But even though Paul was especially gracious in this letter to a community who had supported him, all his letters end in a blessing, well wishes for the community, and an appeal that God or Jesus would bestow his grace on them. Paul meant it. So as Paul does in all his letters, I give thanks for the friends I have made, the lessons I have learned, the experiences we have shared, and the love that God has shown us. I wish I could improve on Paul's farewell, but I cannot. So, I will appeal to it as I say farewell to Saint Mary and Saint Jude. I implore all of you to always pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstance, to love one another as Christ loves us. I will pray for you and ask that you pray for Katherine, the children, and me. And finally, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and forevermore. Yours in Christ, David+ A Message from the Senior Warden A Part of the Parish - Not Apart from Each Other You may have received all the surprise announcements you can handle during the last month. Certainly the vestry had no expectation of our rector's resignation; we had envisioned a much longer tenure for him, and the tangible and intangible evidence for that is generously evident. The work on the rectory in 2004 alone is a clear indication of our hope for a long-term involvement. It was renovated and enlarged to the specifications of the family's needs: greatly expanded family room, mud room, revised laundry, new deck, fencing for protection of the children and pets, and easier access driveway. For the last seventeen months the vestry has been consulting with our rector on a regular basis in the search for ways in which the lay leadership could better assist his pastoral ministry. Each meeting was positively focused and full of hope. And the outpouring of support during the rector's six-month convalescence from a skiing accident was a splendid example of grace and unselfish exertion. One could telescope down to countless small acts of kindness which the community extended. That is only a glimpse at the efforts made to provide long-term leadership from the pulpit. We all had every incentive for this ministry to succeed. Judging from the information David+ has shared with us, this will be a good career move. He will be joining three or four other assistant and associate rectors under the guidance of the rector who is an old friend in a parish about eight times the size of ours. He will be free from some of the burdens of daily parish management and better able to apply his considerable talents toward the avenues in which he excels. The area will also very likely provide Katherine with more opportunities for her interests as the children mature. The Bishop has been working pastorally with him for quite some time as he has discerned his future ministry. We are pleased that while he was with us he was able to achieve some clarity about the kind of ministry he wishes to pursue. And we wish the entire Lucey family great success in their new parish. Our goal during this transition period must be to guarantee the integrity, continuity, and activity of this parish. More than ever we need the cooperation and participation from everyone that has been the theme of these articles for the past two years. Change, especially when it comes abruptly, is never easy. +Chilton tells us that it is normal for people to be confused, frustrated - even angry. This was a disappointingly short tenure for a rector called as recently as the fall of 2002. But it might be interesting for you to hear some results of a little bit of research I completed this month. Our parish has had 22 rectors; four of them served for over a decade (one for almost two decades). The average tenure for the other 18 was 3.2 years - hardly an ideal number but historic. This statistic may reflect volumes about our parish. Someone recently observed that the summer and winter communities view the parish clergy - and, indeed, the parish itself - from different perspectives. Well, of course, they do and have for many years. This is hardly a groundbreaking comment. That is not to say that these are monolithic populations; each has its own elements of individuality and diversity, but one must accept the fact that for generations this parish has been perceived as having two congregations (St. Jude actually makes three). It does invite us to fuse those perspectives rather than battle over them. We must come to terms with the reality that each community expects different skill sets from its clergy. As we decide whether to fuse or fume, certainly it is time for everyone to accept and acknowledge the contributions made by each parishioner - each in his or her own way. This fusion to which I allude welcomes greater participation from those who have limited their participation to attendance at a service. To understand the fundamental mission, activities, committee work, personnel issues, economics, outreach, parishioners' needs and requests (I could go on for pages) requires a deeper commitment to service. And with that service comes a better-educated voice. Even if you are a seasonal parishioner, why not volunteer to become a part of our leadership? When I was asked to serve as a warden, I knew that there was no way I could convince Phyllie to move here year round and that I would be coming here at a minimum of once per month through late fall, winter, and early spring. I encourage you to try it. "You'll like it." And with the snowstorms and cold come recognition of the great demands on all of us - whether clergy or lay personnel - to keep the ball rolling. The vestry is reorganized every January as intentionally staggered three-year terms expire. This body needs to project a balanced, moderate, and thoughtful image of policy development. A new search committee should be representational of the entire parish body and have as one of its objectives to beat that 3.2-year average of a rector's service mentioned previously. This is a fortuitous opportunity for expanded commitment to our parish. It does imply availability, but I hope the phone rings off the hook with volunteers. It will help immeasurably in building the bridge alluded to countless times in my previous articles. Our immediate responsibility to maintain the continuity of the parish involves identifying supply priests until an interim or priest-in-charge arrives. This island is blessed with a number of exceptionally well-qualified - and willing - individuals who have already agreed to conduct the services as needed. Father Bob Raymond will be the first to join us. Carefully selected clergy coverage can help us heal the wounds of failed mutual ministry and build cohesion within our diverse and fragmented community. A meeting called by the Bishop on November 2 was very encouraging as she advised us that she and her Canon for Deployment, Linton Studdiford, are working hard to find just such a person. We have an opportunity now to begin anew. There is no better time. Now when the frustrations are fresh, and the desire for healing is strong. We must view this as a time not for blame but reflection - a time to learn from the past and look toward the future. We must begin again to answer the questions: Who are we? What is God asking us to do in this time and this place? How are we going to do it? We must begin the process of defining how and if we want to change, to grow and to live together. We must begin to craft a transforming mission that gives us a foundation on which to grow personally in faith, to build community, and to work cooperatively in service within and beyond the parish. If we are to survive as a single parish, it will require understanding and compromise from everyone. In a word, a part - not apart With recognition of the challenge to serve, Michael T.B. Dennis, M.D., Senior Warden COMMUNITY NEWS to Lynda Tyson's ordination to the priesthood. By the Grace of God and with the Consent of the People The Right Reverend Chilton R. Knudsen Bishop of Maine will ordain Lynda Zoltai Tyson To the Sacred Order of Priests in Christ's One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church On the Saturday of Advent Embertide the Seventeenth of December Two thousand and five at Two o'clock in the afternoon St. Luke's Parish 1864 Post Road Darien, Connecticut Your prayers and presence are requested Clergy: white stoles - Reception following |
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The Parish of St. Mary and St. Jude
P.O. Box 105, Northeast Harbor, Maine 04662 Tel: 207/276-5588 Fax: 207/276-3220