From the Minister of Faith Formation

Dear Beloved of God,

For everything there is a season,

and a time for every matter under heaven…

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Ahh…welcome Autumn; one of my three favorite seasons, followed by winter and spring.  The colors that we see in New England – varying hues of yellow, orange, red, brown, and purple leaves – adorn the trees and when  driving in or through mountain areas look like tufted quilts blanketing the hills and mountain sides. As the trees begin to shed their leaves dropping them and depending on the tree, acorns as well, seeds of what will come make their way into the ground below.  As we walk through or over them, the rustling, fallen leaves sing to me. Tree limbs, once covered, become window frames for that which was previously obscured from our view.

Winter, following Autumn, takes into her care and gestating nurture seeds her sister season (and perhaps some of us, gardeners, etc.) entrusted to her.  Our chipmunk and squirrel friends have found refuge, birds and butterflies have  migrated, bears will hibernate; perhaps many of us will do the same in varying degrees when the snow flies and  temperatures drop.  Personally, I love a good snowfall and to go out and shovel in the quiet of night or early  morning, especially when no one else is out. It is a form of meditation for me.  It also brings smiles as I fondly remember shoveling before school growing up in Hanson, MA.  In all honesty, I will admit I didn’t think of shoveling as meditation in my school age years and I know my kids did not.

And then along comes Spring with budding leaves, greening grass emerging from the ground, the return of longer days and walks outdoors, open windows, the smell of newly turned earth, the return of nature’s alarm clock as chirping birds join chorus in early morning, the emergence of those animals who had hibernated and budding leaves on trees. Crocuses, tulips, daisies, butterflies and so much more!

Dear Ones, following up on my letter of retirement shared with all of you on September 14th, I couldn’t think of another way to share the transition I am about to enter except through seasons.  We have entered Autumn.  Personally, it is an autumnal season for me. Moving toward retirement at the end of December, open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit I expect there will be some shedding to do, some scattering seeds of what may come, sure to be nurtured by tears of sadness and joy.

Moving toward winter, I will sit with that which God has or may be gestating within me.  I know that while I have some ideas, like spending more time with family, listening for and to what the Holy longs for me and each one of us is important in continued spiritual  development.

Then with Spring, several months into retirement, I look forward to opening the doors of my heart, breathing in the newness of emerging growth, responding to the opening of buds that will emerge from seeds planted and how I, along with God, will faithfully nurture them and perhaps scatter more seeds.

Many of you have asked me about how ministry with members and friends of this congregation might look like   upon my retirement on December 31. Between now and then, I will continue to serve each of you and God.  I will be happy to meet with you, respond to your emails and phone calls, go for a walk or have a cup of tea with you. As of January 1, that will not be the case in order to allow the individual called to this ministry and all of you to form relationships with one another and perhaps plant some new seeds.

For everything there is a season and I have been blessed and am deeply grateful to have shared many seasons with all of you and look forward to our remaining time together.

Blessings,

Deb

From the Senior Minister

Dear Edwards Church Community,

Deb’s announcement that she will retire at the end of this year sets in motion a number of things. First, all of us quickly realize how present she is in the life of this church and community, how quietly over time a strong attachment forms, and how much we will miss her. Roots seek life giving soil. Quietly and without ever explicitly acknowledging it, we can all assume someone will always be there. But we know better.

During December – it seems so far away, yet we know how fast time flies – we will have at least two special events, and they are special events we always have. Christmas Eve will fall on a Sunday. Deb will be with us for a final candle lit “Silent Night” as her last public event. The Sunday before that, December 17, will be Nativity Sunday, when we will celebrate with the Christmas pageant. You may assume that we can make a bit of a fuss over Deb during that Sunday. Stay tuned for details, and please contact me if you have an inspiration.

We value Deb not only for the person she is, but the many ways she helps us to form and reform our faith, with engaging, enlightening, and occasionally challenging activities for every age and stage of life. Those are big shoes to fill.

To fill them, ECM has formed a search team for a transitional faith formation minister. That team is Sheri Cheung, Carolyn Dion, Laura Frogameni, and Melissa Mattison. We have contacted the Southern New England Conference of the UCC to engage their support for the search for someone to serve temporarily as the minster or director of faith formation. There will be lots of things to work through, and we will keep you informed along the way. From now through Christmas, let the focus be on enjoying the present with the  presence of Deb.

In faith, with hope, for love,

Michael

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