MINISTER'S REPORT - March 11, 2008

Last Sunday during the Candles of Joy and Sorrow I shared with the congregation the news that a few weeks ago I visited my doctor after waking up in the night and discovering that I was coughing up blood. A subsequent chest X-Ray and CT scan indicated a mass in my right lung the shape of a good-sized Jalapeño pepper, which of course triggered a whole series of other diagnostic tests now scheduled over the next couple of weeks. I also mentioned that I knew I wasn't the first person in the congregation (or even the first minister) to receive this kind of news from their doctor, and that I certainly wouldn't be last; and asked if those who had experienced this sort of thing in their own lives would reassure the others that it is indeed a common and natural part of ordinary human existence, which needs simply to be taken in stride, one step at a time.

Personally, I'm much less concerned about the course my treatment will take over the next few weeks or months than I am the ways that receiving treatment for this illness (whatever it turns out to be) will effect my ability to conduct my ministry here at First Parish. It's still too early to tell exactly how much time I may need off, but I think it would be a good idea to begin discussing some of the options for covering my most essential duties when the time eventually comes that I am not really capable of easily and effectively handling them myself.

Always one to see opportunity, in this regard my becoming ill at this time may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise, since it also creates a certain degree of urgency around tasks like revitalizing our lay pastoral "Care-Ring" and recruiting new volunteer leaders for other key positions, and also pretty much insures that I won't just try to do it all myself.

Recruiting additional Care-Ring Volunteers and Coordinators would normally fall under the jurisdiction of the Membership Committee, but we may want to appoint some additional folks to assist with this task. Ordinarily, a good first step would be to distribute some sort of "helping hands" sign-up sheet on which people could indicate their availablity, and the kinds of things they are willing to do. We then need to identify people who would be willing to volunteer to coordinate matching services to individual needs, and also create some sort of training for Pastoral Care Associates who are willing to serve as Parish Visitors. Finally, we need to identify and appoint a new Chaplain or Chaplains, to take over for Sally Madore (who has already effectively resigned from that post in order to focus on her hospital ministry, although she has agreed to remain on our letterhead).

We also need additional support for the Worship Committee, both in terms of planning for services when I can not be in the pulpit, and also to help me with the Installation Service on May 4th. The good news is that a lot of these services are close to being covered; but someone is going to have to take charge of wrapping up the details and shepherding them through.

I also want to remind people about the rescheduled "Path to Leadership" dinner this Friday, and our plans to hold some sort of "Volunteer Fair" later in the Spring.

There are still three pre-paid spaces for the District Small Group Ministry facilitator training, which has been rescheduled for this Saturday at A2U2. Neither Linda Blue nor Rebecca Hinds (who is now back in Minnesota to see her dying grandmother and attend the funeral) are available this weekend...and if there is interest someone is welcome to attend in my place as well. The training runs from 9 am to 1 pm, with lunch on your own; my advice if you're interested (or know of someone who is) is to just show up. The first three will be free, and I'm pretty sure they'll take your money at the door. I will try to pin this down with Helen Zidowecki as soon as I can.

Shortly after I first learned that my health was not all that it should be, my friend Elizabeth Leavitt offered to come here to Portland to be with me and help out however she could during this time. We're now trying to figure out some of the financial and other details that would make this possible. I've known Elizabeth since Divinity School; she is also an ordained UU minister with a strong background in dealing with the medical care system. If Elizabeth is able to come, I would propose that the Governing Board sponsor her as what is known as an "Affiliated Community Minister," and also that we appoint her to serve as one of our Chaplains.

Next Steps -- once I have a formal diagnosis and treatment plan, I plan to share that additional information more formally with the entire extended congregation: possibly through a Newsletter Column, or some sort of letter or e-mail blast, or possibly all of the above. I would also hope to be able to provide some of the additional details of how we plan to cover my absence in the likelihood that I will be forced to take some sort of medial leave for treatment this spring.

Finally, I can't begin to tell you how gratifying it is to me personally to experience the love and support so many individual members of this congregation have offered me now that I have shared this news. I am so very proud to be your minister.