Pastor's E-Letter

Pastor's E-Letter

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Time to Disconnect

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29
 
Just reading the above verse brings a sense of peace and calm to my heart. Maybe you feel the same. There is something so gracious, so reassuring about this promise of Jesus, the promise of rest in his presence. I feel the same way about the words of Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.” 
 
One of the realities of pastoral ministry is that it is a 24/7 kind of vocation. It’s not just that we can get a call at any time of day or night and need to respond, although that is true enough. But also the work and demands of producing sermons, teaching classes, writing devotions, “E-Letters” like this, are something that occupies your mind all the time. In a way, that is a good thing. I talked about my creative process for worship and sermon prep each week for our recent podcast. Because I plan out themes and topics for messages for long stretches at a time, it enables me to notice things that I read, hear on the news, or see in a movie or any ordinary experience to become potential “grist for the mill” that is theological and biblical reflection. That is one of the many exciting parts of ministry.
 
However, at the same time, it can also become draining. Doing this work week after week, year after year, can catch up with you. No matter how hard you try to maintain a healthy balance and rhythm to life and ministry, there comes a time when you need an extended period to disconnect from the demands and the routine of daily ministry and recharge your spiritual and vocational battery. Fortunately, in recognition of this reality, the Book of Discipline of the UM Church includes recommendations for renewal leaves for the spiritual renewal and refreshment of clergy from time to time. 
 
Back in December of 2019, I began a conversation with our Staff Parish Relations Committee about taking this leave and they graciously agreed this would be a good thing for me to do. Then, in January 2020, the Church Council approved this leave as well. My plan was to be gone last summer for 6 weeks. But with the Covid outbreak and all that managing that crisis entailed, it was not the right time. 
 
Now the time has come, and it couldn’t be coming at a better moment. I’m so grateful for how Suntree Church has weathered the challenges of the last year. I’m so grateful for all we have accomplished in our Finish Strong campaign over the last month. I’m so grateful for a loving and supportive church family and an amazing staff team. It has also been an especially challenging season which makes being able to step away for a bit especially appropriate and helpful. 
 
I will begin my leave officially on June 13 (my last day in the office will be June 9) which is right after Annual Conference. I’ll be away from the office for 7 weeks, with the last week being a work-from-home week, doing long-range worship and message planning for the Fall. During part of that time, Scott and I will be traveling and exploring some of our National Parks out west. There is nothing like being in the beauty of nature to restore my soul and renew my strength. We will spend some time with family and hopefully plenty of time on the water, both on Lake Hartwell and on the ocean. I will read books for both fun and spiritual enrichment! I will journal, pray, reflect and be still, listening for the still small voice of God that always speaks when I’m still enough to hear it. I will attend a silent retreat. And I will return on August 1 renewed, inspired, ready to re-engage with you in mission and ministry. The staff knows to be prepared since usually, even after just a week or two away I come back with all kinds of new ideas and inspirations for ministry. Imagine what that will be like after 7 weeks? I can’t wait!
 
In the meantime, I am so grateful for an amazing staff and pastoral team and lay leaders that will manage ministry in my absence. I trust them completely and know you will all be in very capable hands! 
 
Again, I’m so very grateful for this opportunity. It’s been 10 years since I’ve taken such a break and it is time. I know it is a privilege that I don’t take for granted so thank you for your support in this. 
 
Finally, this Sunday in worship we will be continuing in our “Immeasurably More” message series and we will celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion. If you are worshipping at home or while you are traveling, be sure to set a communion table with bread and cup before you join us online. We will be reflecting on the prayer found in Ephesians 3:14-21, the enormity of God’s love and grace in our lives, and the power of God to do “immeasurably” more in us as individuals and as a church. We will also be announcing the total commitments to our Finish Strong Campaign and the total of our First Fruits offerings. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it! 
 
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Annette
Posted by Annette Stiles Pendergrass with

Paul's Open Letter to the Church

The internet loves a good “open letter.” Open letters are public writings to one or more individuals, sometimes funny, sometimes serious. An open letter is an opinion piece, a theological treatise, or a call to action disguised as correspondence. Sometimes open letters take unique forms like “rap diss” tracks or a video message posted to Tik Tok or Facebook. They are always more about the writer and their beliefs than the reader. I sometimes wonder if it would be better phrased as just a blog post or an article, as the open letter implies a rhetorical question to its audience and reader. I don’t think most expect open letters to garner a response unless another open letter or diss track is in order.
 
Some open letters are helpful in their universality. Other open letters should be private letters, as they are probably just talking to the intended reader, not the rest of us.
 
One of my favorite practices as a part of the pastoral team at Suntree UMC is writing our weekly E-Letter to you all. It is a place to share thoughts about our worship that don’t make it into the sermon and to otherwise communicate important messages, too. You could say this is an open letter; everyone is welcome to read it, although it is just a function of our ministry together at Suntree UMC. There will be language that those who are completely outside of our circles don’t understand; there will be conversations that are meant to be “kitchen table” instead of “front porch” information that makes their way into the content of these communications.
 
This week in worship, we will begin a series on the Book of Ephesians called, “Immeasurably More.” This is based on the verse from Ephesians 3:20-21 where the writer talks of God’s desire to do abundantly more than we could ask or imagine. The Book of Ephesians is practical in its instruction because it, too, is like an open letter. It is written to a group of churches, probably, so it reflects the writer’s (scholars go back and forth about whether it is really Paul or not) theological stance and universal instruction to us all. It is the letter that has the least amount of “kitchen table” conversation, meant only for the church at hand, and is helpful in its practicality.
 
This week, we will consider Immeasurably More Reconciliation as we read Ephesians 2:8-22. Through God’s gift of salvation, we are brought into one body of reconciliation, growing into a temple of the Holy Spirit. This is only possible because God has given us this gift of adoption and salvation. Jews and Gentiles, men and women, from all tribes and tongues in our world are adopted into Christ’s love and a part of the building of God’s temple within our world.
 
One of the best ways that we see God’s reconciliation at work in our church is in the long relationship that we have with our sister churches in Cuba. For over 20 years, the Cuba Mission Team has been in a relationship with these sister churches, breaking down the walls that the political forces of our country and Cuba would raise. They have braved all kinds of obstacles to make sure that our sisters and brothers in Cuba have the resources that they need. Our sisters and brothers in Cuba regularly pray for the work that we do here at Suntree UMC. Through this mutual relationship, established in the adoption that we have in Jesus Christ, we have cared for one another over decades, and the work continues. We will hear on Sunday the needs that the Cuban people have and the way that the rest of our congregation can be involved in financial support and encouraging our Cuba mission team and our Cuban sister churches.
 
When we submit ourselves to the grand, abundant gift of Christ’s salvation, the natural step that follows is abundant, resurrection reconciliation in our lives and the lives of our neighbors. I’m so excited to celebrate the work the Cuba Mission team does and to think together about God’s gracious abundant love to us this Sunday!
 
See you then,
Pastor Allee
Posted by Allee Willcox with

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