THE ECLECTIC CLERIC

Dancing with my daughter Stephenie


News travels quickly by word of mouth, especially in a church community. After sharing during the Candles of Joy and Sorrow a few Sundays ago the news of my illness,. I was both amazed and gratified by the outpouring of sympathy and support I have received from friends, family, colleagues, former parishioners, and of course all of you here at First Parish. I feel as though I am seeing blossoming before my very eyes the living proof of the truths I've been attempting to learn, practice, and preach with love for the past thirty years: about the values of Gratitude, Generosity, Humility and Service; and the importance of Compassion, Community, and Common Sense; and especially the power of an authentic Ministry of Hospitality to bring out the best in people, and to empower them to do good in the world, while walking together in a covenantal relationship of mutual trust, accountability, and support.

Facing a potentially life-threatening cancer diagnosis is obviously an emotionally intense experience, so I am actually a little surprised by how calm I feel. Perhaps this is simply evidence that all this expensive theological education was actually worth the money after all, but I am also well aware of the fact that I am not the first person in this congregation, nor even its first minister, to receive this kind of news from their physician, and the knowledge that I am not alone gives me great comfort. So I want to repeat my request that those of you who have had some experience with this sort of thing in your own lives will help reassure others in the congregation that it is indeed a normal part of living, that doubtlessly almost every one of us will at some point receive news like this from our own physicians, and that we simply have to have the courage and the trust to take things in stride, without worrying too much about the things we can't control, and concentrating our attention on the things we can.

By the time this newsletter arrives in your mailbox, I will have doubtlessly already started my treatments for this illness. Obviously I can't predict now how I will be feeling then, but I imagine that I will be either on medical leave or at the very least on some form of "light duty" for much of the foreseeable future. I have started keeping a "cancer blog" http://onedayisle.blogspot.com which you are welcome to read as you wish for updates on my progress. And, of course, the plans for my formal installation as the fifteenth settled minister of this congregation, on Sunday May 4th, continue to move forward on schedule.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your support and encouragement during my time of trial, and especially for calling me here to Portland to serve as your minister. Although this is certainly not the start of a new ministry that any of us would have anticipated or hoped for, I have great faith that our journey together will indeed lead us to a place of deeper spiritual insight and wisdom, and that we will emerge on the other side both stronger souls and a stronger community as a result..........twj


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>From the President
Sue Veligor: Susan@cornerstoneplanning.com

I expect at this point that most of you are aware of Tim Jensen's health issue. Surprise, fear, sadness and worry are some of the many emotions/reactions that spring forth for me. One of the characteristics I recognized (and admired) immediately about Tim, when we first began our relationship, is his philosophy of identifying opportunities in all situations, including those where others tend to only see problems. Thus, as you might imagine, he already has discovered the silver lining that envelops his lung cancer. At first, it was in the context of discussing Rebecca Hines' (our new RE Director) request for financial help to pay health insurance premiums. For Tim, this request hit close to home; he knows how fortunate he is to have coverage. Perhaps this might lead the church to set a goal of providing health insurance to all staff?

An opportunity for us as a congregation, which also may stem from Tim's illness, is not unlike that which we've witnessed around such serious events as 911, whereby people truly come together, united in a mission, and in the process have expanded the bounds of selflessness. This morning when I asked Tim how he was doing he confessed to being pleasingly overwhelmed by the many offers of support he's received and went on to observe that "we need a coordinator to manage the people who want to help." Jackie Oliveri has offered to take on the role of coordinating Tim's care committee during his treatment. Jackie will send out an e-mail and include information in the Sunday Bulletin as soon as possible as to what Tim's needs are.

This month I attended a Membership meeting, a Stewardship meeting, and a Pathways to Leadership team meeting. In these meetings, the discussion has been around helping members become more near to their church: to offer regular occasions for socializing and connecting; to find opportunities for folks to develop and grow personally; and to build a society that reflects everyone's best effort.

To that end, I am excited to tell you that on April 6th and 13th you are invited, at coffee hour, to examine the many possibilities for enrichment that exist within our structure. I have asked each committee or council chair to provide a brief description of the opportunities under their purview and an estimate of time commitment. These volunteer positions will be posted in the Parish Hall with chairpersons from the respective committees nearby to answer questions and sign you up to fill one of these important roles at First Parish.

Will you join me, please, in being part of "the three legs: Time, Treasure and Talents," which Rev. Jensen often refers to when honoring the diverse contributions that define our "whole" church experience.