The Priesthood of the Faithful
June 10th, 2021
“The ministerial gifts of this community lift me in ways that I start my own ministry with most of the race already behind me.”
These days of June are so odd for me this year. It feels somewhat surreal to be spending so much energy wrapping up my time here at MPB. And so, in these last few weeks, I really want to reflect simply on the deep sense of gratitude that I have for being allowed to be part of such an amazing community for such a long time. Today (it is currently June 9), in the back yard of the rectory with my staff will be the first of several going away events.
Of course, there are also many smaller moments and meals, coffees and conversations that are part of the “good-bye” process. Amidst the sizable task of physically packing, it is the emotions of just saying goodbye that is taking the most energy. It’s hard enough to find the time and energy to say goodbye, much less have the time to do it properly.
It certainly seems appropriate to spend some time trying to explain exactly how I experienced the gift of this community, and it is my hope that I am able to do a little of that in the video today. Because I have such a narrowly defined task that I want to create, I didn’t include any music or a reading. I didn’t want to try to make this message “fit into” any particular reading from this week’s liturgy. I simply want to focus on the honor it has been to belong to, minister to, lead, and walk along side the people of MPB. I am also planning some extra music in the next couple weeks ahead, so I hope that this video is enough to begin these last weeks for you as well as for me.
It occurs to me that, only moving a few miles away, I need not feel I’m saying good-bye to anyone in this community. I am saying good-bye to the privilege of my pastoral relationship with this community. And that has been a deeper, more unexpected pain than I saw coming. However, where my heart is most of the time is in a place of simple, profound gratitude. I’m blessed to be pastor of this community. I hope to share, at least a little bit, some of the character of that privilege in today’s video.
God bless,
Father Pat
No reading this week
No song this week.
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