In the attempt to "plan wisely" for my sabbatical, tentatively scheduled to begin sometime in the spring of 2005, I have acquired a book entitled, Clergy Renewal, from the Alban Institute in Washington. The first chapter of the book, "Renewal is. . . ," begins in this way:
"The essence of sabbatical is rooted in the Hebrew word ‘sabbat’ and the biblical traditions surrounding it. In the Bible, ‘sabbat’ encompasses three related practices. The first practice is that of the Sabbath day described in the creation story of Genesis 1 and 2: God ‘rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done’ (Gen. 2:2). The weekly observance of the Sabbath was to nourish the body, mind, and soul of the master, family, slaves, livestock, visitor, and foreigner. Although Jesus healed on the Sabbath and joined his followers in eating from the cornfield on the Sabbath, he still reverenced the Sabbath concept. He retreated to the wilderness for forty days after his baptism, and during the course of his ministry, he often went away to pray and to gain strength in silence and meditation on mountaintops and by lakesides. A second sabbatical practice is allowing the land to lie fallow every seventh year as prescribed in Leviticus 25:3-4 . . . The third sabbatical practice is that of the Jubilee Year (Lev. 25:8-13) . . .
"For Jews, the emphasis of Sabbath is on rest and playfulness. . . It is a time to study Torah, to sing, to dance, to celebrate, and to reflect on what the previous six days have been. Sabbath keeping values our ability to rest and not merely our ability to work. When we keep the Sabbath, we live in God’s economy, where our purpose is not production but play. In keeping Sabbath, we measure ourselves by a different yardstick."
As summer arrives we are once again reminded that it is time to "keep Sabbath." It is time to take time, to slow down, to let up on (or let go of) work. Given the place in which we live and the vocations many of us follow, combined with the present state of the world, it is sometimes difficult for us to remember the necessity of taking Sabbath time. We are, after all, indispensable, are we not?
Well, actually, no, we are not. Only God is indispensable. But even our creativity grows stale if we fail to step back and get some perspective on our individual worlds. Taking time from accomplishing and producing, taking time to be with family and friends, is taking time for healing of our bodies, minds and spirits. Contrary to popular 21st century opinion, this is not wasted time. On the contrary, building relationships, embracing God’s creation, listening to that "still small voice," is necessary time. It is shalom time, time meant to bring peace to runaway lives cluttered with too much noise and too many expectations and way more control than any one human being should possess.
So I bid you to not let the summer get away without taking some Sabbath time. Whether it is at the beach or in your backyard, spend some time with those you love. Spend some time with God; it is amazing how life focuses into its proper perspective. At least, it helps us to remember that God is God and we are not! And remember that if you do not take time to disengage and step back, no one will want to continue working with you for very long. I am unbearable when I am over tired, and I know I am not the only one.
I am going to spend time this summer with my family and others I love but don’t get to see very often. For those of you who really want to know if clergy go to church while on vacation, the answer is yes. Contrary to being a "busman’s holiday," it gives us the opportunity to simply be cradled in God’s presence without thinking about what comes next. I hope, wherever you are, you will also attend church which, unlike work, is always in season. And I wish you all a summer of sabbath rest and God’s shalom.
The All Saints Cursillo Community will once again sponsor an Anniversary Breakfast in celebration of Rachelle’s fifth year with us, on Sunday, June 22, between the 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services. Please mark your calendar NOW and plan to attend and enjoy good food and fellowship and to offer Rachelle our continued support in her ministry at All Saints-Sharon Chapel.
The Women of All Saints will meet on Saturday, August 9, at 9:00 a.m., in Gunnell Hall to work on materials for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. Projects range from painting wooden objects white or staining them with a water-based stain, to painting people figures and writing out scriptures. Please mark this date on your calendar and set aside the time to come out and support this wonderful children’s ministry and enjoy fellowship with other women of All Saints.
AS-SC has had a bridge club for many years. We play once a month September through May (except December). It’s an easy-going group with players at all levels. Each player pays $10 at the first session; after expenses, the remainder is donated to the rector/church.
If you would like to be a regular player (single or couple) or a substitute, please contact Sallie Dievendorf or Fran Carter at as soon as possible so groups can be formed by the co-chairs by the middle of August.
In spite of the extensive development in our local area, an abundance of wild life continues to thrive by adapting to the changing environment. Two years ago, we had a family of foxes on the church property. This year, we had a family of racoons at the Rectory. The foxes stayed out- side; the racoons, unfortunately, took up residence in the attic.
Earlier, there had been a sighting of squirrels in the attic. Professional help was hired to close and seal a hole in the soffit. Since the work was done during the day, it was hoped that the squirrels were out and about. As a precaution, a trap was set in the attic. Rachelle subsequently reported hearing some commotion; so it appeared a residual squirrel had been appre- hended. It was quite a surprise to learn that the captive was a good-sized racoon.
The racoon was taxied over to Lee District Park and released. That act, intended as kindly, turned into a real problem. Upon returning to the Rectory to clean up after the racoon, muffled sounds led to the discovery of baby racoons. A triumvirate of former senior wardens (Rick Schoen, Chet Szymczak and Paul Rae) extracted a trio of baby racoons (whose eyes hadn’t even opened yet). The real problem was that the mother and babies had been separated.
Enter a true angel, Ms. Erika Yery, a Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator and member of the Wild- life Rescue League. Ms. Yery fed the babies with an eyedropper and put them in an "incubator" to restore their body temperature (they had been separated 24 hours by that time). An attempt to reunite the family was made that night by leaving the babies on the porch of the Rectory (with a heating pad in the "incubator"), but the mother did not appear. Ms. Yery will care for the racoons until some time in October when they will be old enough to release into the wild. The Vestry will be making a monetary contribution to the Wildlife Rescue League in appreciation for Ms. Yery’s kind assistance, her devoted service on behalf of our community and her love for our "wild neighbors."
Lessons learned: (1) Wild animals may be relocated as a family, but it is illegal to separate mother and babies. (2) If left alone, the mother will move the babies to another site when they are six to eight weeks of age. (3) Home-owners can reduce the chance of entry by having chim-neys capped/screened, overhanging tree limbs removed, and by having holes and other openings in the house either screened or sealed. (4) After serving as Senior Warden, one can aspire to be Game Warden.
SEEKING – Someone willing to perform the audit of the 2002 financial record keeping. If interested, call the office or see Mary-Blair Valentine, AS-SC treasurer.
WHO: You
WHERE: Shrine Mont
WHEN: June 27-29, 2003
WHY: Children under 4 are FREE
HOW: See Parish Bulletin Board
Display and sign up today
The next scheduled date for Saints Alive is Tuesday, June 17th . Come join us for Holy Eucharist at 12 noon, followed by a pot luck luncheon. Enjoy a mid-month, mid-week time of worship, companionship, and good food.
This year, Carolyn and I want to be creative about our pledge to the Building Fund. Here’s what we have come up with as an idea. Much of our garden is planted and we hope for a good growing season again this year. In past years, we have prepared some food specialties, using fresh veggies from the garden, that people have raved about. So, here are some deals from the garden:
- A "knock your socks off" eggplant lasagna, with eggplant and tomato sauce from the garden, and an assortment of fresh veggies for an accompanying salad. $25.
- A "knock your socks off" eggplant lasagna, with eggplant and tomato sauce from the garden, an assortment of fresh veggies for an accompanying salad, and any two of the following items: zucchini bread, yellow squash casserole (Sharon Chapel cookbook), four-serving portion of ratatouille (Sharon Chapel cookbook), "to-die-for" chocolate mousse pie (home-made, but not from the garden). $50.
- Some combination of the items above for an agreed contribution amount.
We use a moderate amount of spices, and garlic-flavored olive oil. No preservatives.
100% of what we receive will go into the building fund.
We hope for a great growing season, and we hope to hear from you.
Paul and Carolyn Rae