At the annual congregational meeting, I gave a very short ministerial report. In order to provide a quantitative context to my activities I reported that I had used over 300 first-class stamps on notes and cards to members, friends, newcomers, and guests over this past year. And I said that I had visited in homes over 30 times during this past year, and have also met members and newcomers in restaurants, coffee shops, and other public places. I want you to know that I always have time for you, the members and friends of this church.
There is more that I would like to share with you about some of the other ways that I spend my time, because it reflects on the broader aspects of my being your minister, your pastor, and your servant in Christ.
Prayer and meditation are a regular part of my day. Sometimes I use music and images from YouTube to focus my meditation. Sometimes music from CD’s provides the setting for prayers. Often, the I-95 and I-395 “parking lots” give me an opportunity to “pray without ceasing!” Rarely do I go to sleep without lifting up this congregation and the names of the many friends of this church to God’s affirming love. I have a prayer list that I attend to each night. Never do I go to sleep without thanking God for the honor and blessing of being your minister.
Each morning when I wake up, I thank God that I “Woke up this morning…” and turn my life over to the Spirit of the Infinite.
Administratively, I help our church Administrator with putting together each week’s Order of Service and the monthly “Anchor”. Often, I edit and proof. Of course, I always contribute this monthly column. I preached, facilitated the Sunday service, co-preached, or preached “responsively” for 35 services between May 1, 2008, and April 30, 2009. I was the liturgist six times, which can sometimes be harder than preaching, in my opinion!
During the year I attended 11 church Board meetings, almost that many Budget, Finance, and Stewardship Committee meetings, participated in several Welcome and Membership Committee and two Worship Committee meetings, and attended the regular Deacons meetings. Many other meetings were conducted virtually.
Part of my work in the broader UU community involves support for the Christian Universalist Association, for which I serve on the Board; I have also accepted a position as assistant editor of the Universalist Herald, which is the oldest, continuously produced liberal Christian magazine in the United States. Besides meeting every month with five of my local UU minister colleagues in a support group, I try to attend the regular monthly meetings of the Chesapeake UU Ministers’ Association. I have regular monthly meetings with a spiritual director. There are other ministerial colleagues with whom I pray every so often, and I maintain regular email correspondence with the UU retired minister who has been my mentor and resource for eleven years now. I have been asked to serve a two-year term on the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship board, and I am still praying about whether to assume this additional responsibility. I am involved in these activities both because it provides an opportunity to bring the special message and mission of our church to the attention of the broader UU community, and because I think it’s important to support and be in fellowship with the other Christian-oriented members of our denomination.
There are many in the congregation who come to me, not only for pastoral visits, but also to find out more about our church and the social justice activities and projects that we support. I don’t think it would surprise anyone to know that many of you want to become more involved in social action.
I have been talking recently with Peter Sage of the “Food For All” organization that we sponsor, and we are in the tentative planning stage of a mission trip to Haiti this year for members of UNMC and some of his volunteers. I will let you know more about this as soon as Peter gets back from Brazil.
My prayer for myself and for the members of this church is for more hours in each day, and for the strength, the courage, and the ability to make a difference in the world. No matter what form that will take, I want us to work with others in Washington, D.C. who are seeking to create a world with
fairness and equality for all.
See you in church, Pastor Lillie