This poem is just too beautiful. I had to share it again:

If We Are All Unremarkable Angels  by Anna Elkins
The Remarkables, New Zealand
After a long morning of hiking and getting lost,
I walked to the pebbled edge of the lake to wash my feet.
When I looked up, a toddler with a smile of pure
and fearless joy was running up to me. He stopped
short, bent down to select a stone, and handed it to me,
his face full of a hope so bold it was a knowing--
that I'd think his gift as rich as gems. I smiled back.
Like he had bowed to choose his gift, I bowed to accept it.
I held the stone in my open palm to give it proper honor,
loving not just the give but how it came after the thought
to give. He'd approached me empty-handed, found
what he needed just when he needed it -- nothing
planned or stockpiled, as would be my way.
I said, Thank you, and put the stone in my pocket.
He ran back to his father, mother, sister.
A beauty suffused the whole family. Maybe
they were angels. Maybe we all take turns playing
angel. Maybe I did earlier, for another child
who'd come running down the mountain, crying
Can you help me? I'm lost! So we all are, so often.
And then we're found -- someone appears, leads us
back up the path or offers us a talisman of praise,
and once again, we're good enough for now.
 
Printed in the Christian Century, 2024.

​At an early age, I realized that one of my great joys was organizing groups for a good time. I was usually the one who said “I know! Let’s…”  Generally, folks bought in and I had the fulfillment of seeing my great idea happen, and I carried the brunt, burden, or balloon of happiness afterward.
These days, when the liturgy, music, and sermon all combine to make our worship service feel deeply meaningful, and (cherry on top) I see people moved emotionally, I have such deep satisfaction and joy.  It’s energy in my battery to be a part of drawing people into an experience of going deeper with God and themselves. 
I bet you can name something that is like this for you. Some activity, moment, way of being that is almost guaranteed to bring you deep fulfillment and satisfaction (AKA joy).  What is that for you?  If you haven’t found it, what are you waiting for? Time to treasure hunt! If you have found it, and now, life has made it impossible to do it anymore, there is still good news.
On top of the big joys, there are other ways to let joy have a place in our lives.  Here are some great suggestions from ChatGPT:
Manifesting Joy

1. Practice Gratitude: Start a daily gratitude journal. Writing down three things you're thankful for each day shifts focus toward the positive.
2. Celebrate Small Wins: Take time to recognize and celebrate small accomplishments—completing a task, showing kindness, or simply making it through a tough day.
3. Mindful Moments: Incorporate moments of mindfulness—pause to savor your coffee, feel the sunshine on your face, or breathe deeply.

Discovering Joy

1. Revisit Childhood Hobbies: Explore activities you loved as a child—drawing, dancing, or exploring nature. These often carry an innate sense of wonder.
2. Engage with Community: Volunteer or connect with groups that align with your passions. Relationships and shared purpose can be rich sources of joy.
3. Try Something New: Take a class, visit a new place, or try a new recipe. Novelty can spark joy by igniting curiosity.

Cultivating Joy

1. Invest in Relationships: Deepen connections with friends and family by spending quality time together and expressing appreciation for one another.
2. Create a Joyful Environment: Surround yourself with things that uplift you—photos, music, scents, or colors that spark happiness.
3. Reflect on Meaning: Consider what brings you a sense of purpose or aligns with your values, and prioritize those activities.

These suggestions offer something for everyone!  As we light the pink candle of Joy on Sunday, I hope you’ll come to that moment with a sense of where that light shines in your life. Hold onto it in this season of short days and barren landscapes. Joy is God’s breath blowing in your life.  Breathe it in!

As a kid, my family moved a lot.  As soon as the news dropped, my mind went to the future: new place, new friends, new school; those realities loomed large.  Every move also meant leaving behind a life that felt meaningful and permanent.  So, one would think that I’d be an expert at saying goodbye.  And yet, as I come to the end of serving as your rector, it’s the goodbye part that’s hardest to focus on. 

Here are some suggestions for those of us who struggle with GOOD byes:

Recognize the Goodbye. I’m doing that as I write this. I recognize that for me to grow, and for our community to grow into spiritual maturity, we must make room for sadness and loss.  It’s a transition time and that feels unsettling.  I’ve already jumped into thinking about the coming interim who will serve you. I’ve gotten happy thinking about how that person will enrich your common life.  But stop!  It’s time to recognize this moment. The season of good bye. Allowing it to be good and meaningful.

Reflect on the past.  I’m taking time to remember the amazing adventure of being a part of our community. Your beautiful faces, a person’s distinct laugh, a moment of sweetness, a time of utter wonder.  So many memories are sitting with me right now.  I’m grateful for that.  If you need a refresher on the seven years we’ve had together, there are photobooks in the Common Room. Emily O’Chiu created several of the them and they are fantastic.

Release the Feelings.  It’s really  important to acknowledge the loss and sadness.  Even if you are only sad because it’s a change and your not all that fond of me personally, it’s okay to just be sad for the change. Or irritated.  Don’t feel bad about it, just release it.  For some of us, grief is more easily expressed through anger. That’s what makes community transitions tough. Between the stress of anticipated change, the power vacuum caused by the departing rector, and people reacting in anger instead of processing grief, things can go easily go bad and balloon into big things when their root is just loss.  Choose to release the feelings.

Return to the present.  This goodbye is a threshold. It’s a new door opening for our community. We don’t know what it will bring, but we know it will be guided and held by the Holy Spirit who has brought us this far.  We are in good hands with the Bishop and Canon Doris, we are in good hands with the lay leaders we have at St. Paul’s.  God is in the midst of us, we need not fear.

I am committed to a Good Bye. I hope you will be too.  I’m not trying to make this bigger than it is. You have plenty of other issues in your life beside my departure and they are certainly more important. But that doesn’t diminish the importance of this common task.  Let’s do it and do it well. Recognizing, reflecting, releasing, and returning. May it be a sweet and holy process.

​Pastor Rebecca