Annual Report of the Senior Pastor (2003-2004)

A little more than a year ago, as Lucy and I prepared to share the news of our lives with you (her cancer diagnosis and the ending of Ben’s ministry with the New Hampshire Conference), we were concerned about how you would hear and process this news. How you would dwell in the midst of both of your pastors facing personal traumas. Throughout our conversations, I kept saying, they will be fine. This is a strong, caring, committed, faithful, resilient congregation. They will be fine. We will walk through this together, and together, we will be fine. And you have proven that to be even more true than I dared dream. This is a wonderfully strong and grace-filled congregation. I marvel at who we are together, the ways in which we are growing in faith and in service, the places among us in which God’s hand is seen and felt, the pitches and tones through which God’s voice is heard. Thank you, my friends, for being the gift that First Parish Church is, and thank you for allowing me to share this journey of faith with you.

I continue to believe that worship stands at the center of our life together, and I celebrate the richness of our time in the sanctuary. When we gather for prayer and praise, there is a pulse of energy that is breathtaking. Whether it’s an overflow crowd on Christmas Eve and Easter or the smattering of a few on Ash Wednesday or to pray for peace, the press of children gathered up front on Sunday morning or the quiet while communion elements are distributed, I feel the vitality of God’s presence and the pulse of our shared life. I was struck to hear the report of a new family attending for the first time. The teenager among them knew they’d found their church home when we got to the joys and concerns – because of the ways that we care for each other and lift each other up in prayer. And then there’s the gift of music that that continues to strengthen and bless our worship. It’s been a year of transition around the organ and keyboard, and each of the people who have played have been gifts for us. We rejoice that Jeremy Lajoie has joined us as an extended substitute, and celebrate the music that he makes in our midst. The Senior Choir leads with beauty and passion, whether they’re singing a quiet prayer or a rousing spiritual. And the work of Sue Handy, Sarah Keller, Ken Williams and John Doane with the various other choirs is all rich and enriching. Thank you!

This year, we’ve ventured into a new thing with our evening worship service, and I celebrate what’s happening in that time frame. The content of the service is very much the same as in the morning, but there are also uniquenesses that help shape a very different experience. Dan Allen has gifted us with guitar music and the recruitment of some new musical voices and instruments. There is a quiet intimacy as an average of 10 to 15 people gather for worship, more informal than in the morning, and more interactive. Most joys and concerns are accompanied with the lighting of a candle; communion is shared standing in a circle around the table, and most of the time the service only runs about 45 minutes. Some have found this to be a preferred time for worship, rather than the early morning rush and press. Some have found this a nice alternative when schedules don’t allow for morning worship. And some simply like the variety of attending a little of both. I’m glad we’re doing it, and look forward to the ways in which we will continue to develop this ministry.

One of the accompanying gifts of an evening service has been a new structured approach to adult education. We’re working hard to build an evening block of programming, with some sort of offering each week at 5, followed by worship at 7. The attempt this fall for open conversation over a potluck supper didn’t seem to catch on, so we’ve set that aside for now. The Christianity 101 series in January and February was very well attended, as was the series on violence. I look forward to the ways in which we will continue to explore and expand this sort of offering. I also very much enjoyed the Bible Studies we held last summer, as well as the ongoing work on Wednesday mornings. That group has changed and developed in countless ways over the years, and gathering every week to study a portion of scripture (we’re currently making our way through the book of Acts) is a gift. Clearly there are times that it is more a theology or current events class than Bible Study, but faith and prayer and learning are woven all the way through it, and I celebrate the journey.

Another accomplishment this past year was reestablishing a group of Caregivers. Lyn Robinson and I worked together to recruit and train a group of people who are being paired with people who can benefit from a friend and periodic visit. We started with a small group, and over the course of the training, for a wide variety of reasons, the group got even smaller. We rejoice in the 3 people who are currently serving among us as Caregivers, even as we look for ways to recruit and train additional people.

Stewardship is one of the areas of our life where I feel most compelled to make a few observations. I think we’ve come a long way. And I don’t think we’re there yet. Having said that, perhaps the next most obvious question is, to where are we trying to get? It’s easy to look at stewardship as raising the money that is needed to support the church budget. That’s a huge and essential piece of it. And as the ministry of the church has grown, it has challenged each of us to consider carefully what our giving can and will be. We’ve made huge strides. I marvel that after a year of posting weekly updates on how deep our hole was, this year our giving has kept pace with our spending. That is an accomplishment that must not be taken for granted. But even as I say that, I am also aware of the growth that our church boards have dreamed of for the coming year – new programming, the ability to stay current with repairs of the building, setting aside money to allow us to meet needs that wait around the corner – ideas and concerns that have been put on hold because the pledging simply doesn’t look like it will support more growth. Which brings me back to the basic questions: are we doing what we can? what is the ratio between our giving and our holding? do we operate more from a mentality of abundance or one of scarcity? do we understand ourselves as stewards of God’s gifts and graces?

And then there are the people with whom I am allowed to work in the midst of our life together. I celebrate the energy and commitment that so many of you bring to our board and committee structure. I am appreciative of Pastor Chet’s presence among us, greeting people at the side door, leading us in carols, sharing his faith and compassion and prayer throughout the life of our church. We were richly blessed for much of the past year by Leo VanSteensburg’s presence as our maintenance person, overseeing the care of the buildings and grounds in careful and conscientious ways; I thank him for his service, and I welcome Rod Hunt into that position now. Priscilla is a steadying presence in the office, too often taken for granted, but very much appreciated. Sue Handy is a wellspring of creative energy and musical talent. And Lucy is a blessing. I can’t begin to express the joy of sharing ministry with a colleague who is so gifted and skilled. And in the midst of what each of us brings to First Parish, I regularly experience the presence of something above and beyond and more than what any of us brings. God is indeed working in our midst, bringing to birth more than we can dream or hope or imagine. Surely the presence of God is in this place!

Alice M.C. Ling