What an odd Sunday. My tenor who is singing a solo part in the prayer response sings a completely different melodic line than the one written. People seem unsettled. I chalk it up to the weather and keep going. We move through the service and I am blissfully unaware that anything is amiss.
After the sermon, after the offering, after the closing hymn, the choir moves off the platform and queues up to sing the benediction. The pastor, who usually moves to the back of the sanctuary to pronounce the closing prayer, has stayed on the platform, but I don't find this particularly significant until - until
Instead of saying the closing prayer, she asks the congregation to be seated. With great emotion, she shares with us that she has received a promotion to district superintendent and will be leaving us in June for a district further west and south of us. You can almost feel the shock waves rumbling through the pews. I am totally taken by surprise. I had no idea this was coming.
I am happy for Sherri, so pleased that her excellence has been noticed and rewarded. She is a truly caring and spiritually astute pastor. She will do well. And she will be greatly missed. I love her gentle firmness. She creates welcoming worship spaces for us, prepares us well to partake of the things of the Spirit. Though I have only been working with her for 3 1/2 years, I feel as if I have known her for a long time.
As we sing our closing benediction and head down the aisle, I read the faces of people I am passing. I see happiness, fear, shock, concern, joy, surprise and wonder. It will be an interesting journey ahead. God is moving among us. All will be well.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment