Gratitude & Rest
WHAT BENNIE'S BEEN DOING: Week 1
NOTE: This Post was written August 29, 2018 but not published until I created Bluegrass Brigid on September 25, 2018
NOTE: This Post was written August 29, 2018 but not published until I created Bluegrass Brigid on September 25, 2018
Since the theme of this sabbatical is “Recipes for Renewal at the Thresholds of Life & Ministry” here is the “soul food” on the menu this week for me and David (and Jack!)
1) GRATITUDE...
"Thank You" hardly seems adequate to express the depth of gratitude in my heart for each of you individually and all of you collectively as my church family. I just felt so much love on Sunday… so much blessing! And, I regret not saying so at the luncheon. As you will read shortly when you get to my next recipe, “Rest”… unfortunately, I just reached a point of exhaustion after worship and failed to say any of the things I had planned to say at lunch.
That is why it is so important that I say to you now how grateful I am… not only for the beautiful and delicious luncheon, but especially for this gift of Sabbath Rest. The Lilly Endowment may be footing the bill, but it wouldn't be happening at all without YOU! Your willingness to seek congregational renewal through this clergy renewal grant is a tremendous gift to me and my family, as well as our church family. So, thank you, thank you thank you!
Also, I want to specifically share gratitude for a few folks who gave extra time and effort to make this whole sabbatical happen. First, thanks to Katherine Gardner, who though she is still recovering from a kidney transplant (!), designed and engineered a fantastic luncheon. Here is a picture of the “Yellow Roses of Texas” that adorned each table as centerpieces for our Texas BBQ lunch! The yellow roses combined with the map confetti, Texas food and Twin Pines love reminds me there's no place like “My Old Kentucky Home!”
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| Yellow Roses of Texas and TPCC Love :) |
Second, speaking of maps, thanks also to Lizzie Martin for the amazing and fun “Where in the World is Bennie” display in the DLC. Also thanks to Lizzie for all the extra work she has put in to create effective ways to communicate the details of the sabbatical. In short, how blessed we are to have someone as talented and creative as Lizzie at the administrative helm of TPCC!
Third, I want to share special gratitude for my sabbatical dream team, as well as the executive councils, elders and PRC's of the last two years who have given incredible amounts of time and energy to make this sabbatical happen. Those who have had a hand and a heart in shaping our proposal and bringing it to fruition from its inception in 2016 until now include:
Sabbatical Dream Team: Doug Ecton, TJ Evans, Katy Frederick, Nike Garlin, Bettie Gibson, Melissa Hall, Walter Hehl, Tony Longo, Carla Repass, John Thompson and Kate Von Lackum
Elders 2016-2018: Becky Akers, Mark Blankenship, Doug Ecton, Jessamyn Evans, Grace Gorrell, Melissa Hall, Caroline Hehl, Walter Hehl, Wendy Henry, Janet Raider, Ben Smits and Elaine Thompson
PRC’s 2016-2018: Angela Bereznak, Mark Blankenship, Doug Ecton, Katy Frederick, Caroline Hehl and Nan Riekert
Executive Councils, 2016-2018: Angela Bereznak, Doug, Ecton, TJ Evans, Melissa Hall, Walter Hehl, Wendy Henry, Jennifer Herrin, Albert Hrabak, Tony Longo and Kate Von Lackum
Fourth, I want to thank my Staff and Bill Paulsell for all the time they have given to ensure a smooth transition of pastoral leadership during the sabbatical. Cindi Russell, Lizzie Martin, Bailey Armour and Heather Bemis have all met with Bill before sabbatical even began and that gives me great confidence and peace of mind that you are in good hands while I am away!
I am especially grateful for all the time and wise counsel Bill has shared with me over this past year since he agreed to be your pastor during this sabbatical. I also appreciate that he was willing to meet with elders, exec council, and staff long before he was on the Lilly payroll! In that regard, I am additionally grateful for Sally Paulsell for sharing Bill with us then and now. Truthfully, I am jealous that you all are going to have such wonderful experiences with Bill and Sally that I will miss… they are a true gift to the Twin Pines family!
Finally, while they have already been mentioned, I need to offer special gratitude to Melissa Hall and Carla Repass, who gave enormous amounts of time to craft the narrative and budget for the sabbatical proposal. It absolutely would not have happened without them!
Also, both Melissa and Albert Hrabak are giving much extra time to overseeing the accounting of the sabbatical budgets - both mine and the congregation's. The amount of time and energy they have given and are still giving to make this incredible gift possible cannot be quantified. “Thank you” hardly seems adequate, so I hope you will join me in making sure they know how much we appreciate them.
2) REST
As I mentioned in the message Sunday, Rest is a critical ingredient of Soul Food! We find our rest in the flesh and blood of Jesus because he dares us to believe God dwells within human flesh and blood! He took time away from his followers to rest his flesh and his spirit in God and calls us to do the same.
So, my focus this week and next is simply to take time to rest… because I am very tired. While this sabbatical is an incredible gift for which I am and will forever be eternally grateful, it is also true that preparing for it has meant working double for quite some time. The good news is that for the first time in my life, I am 6 months ahead in planning! Since I will not be working for the next 3 months, I have already prepared our worship series for Advent, Epiphany and Lent :)
And, now it is all paying off as David and Jack and I have enjoyed a less stressed Bennie these past two days! Also, I am just enjoying thanking God for time to do nothing but be in God's loving embrace :)
So, thank you again, and again, and again for this beautiful, incredible gift of rest and renewal. I used a lot of words to say so… but truly, I am grateful beyond words!