May 4, 2008

Dear friends in life and in ministry . . .

I'm on the road this weekend and sending out this email from a Holiday Inn Express in Princeton, West Virginia. Because of where I'm staying this evening, I'm feeling especially smart . . . but also quite tired. From tomorrow afternoon - Friday morning, I'm at a conference sponsored by Educational Opportunities, the Christian Travel Company that I've journeyed with on several occasions. When I retire from full time parish ministry in a year or so, Patty and I hope to resume the ministry of leading pilgrimages to places such as the Holy Land, Ireland, etc. This conference will hopefully prepare me for this travel ministry including a "Land of the Bible" Cruise we will take next March.

This weekend we bid farewell to Fr. John Wydeven, a chaplain at the Bath VA Medical Center who has been in residence in our rectory since 2005. He will begin a new job at the VA Medical Center in Providence, Rhode Island tomorrow.

My column this week was inspired by a recent column of my friend Charlotte Bruney. Sometimes church people can sit in nearby pews for decades without getting to know each other. Does this happen at your parish church?

I'll write you again next week when we celebrate Pentecost.

God Bless,

Deacon Ray

This week's Column: May 4, 2008 - Still Getting to Know You!

My friend Charlotte Bruney is the pastoral administrator of St. Vincent DePaul Parish in Churchville, NY. A few weeks ago she included the following story in her weekly bulletin column, “Charlotte’s Web.”

“Author Margaret Feinberg, in her book The Organic God, tells a story about our former national poet-laureate, Maya Angelou, serving as a guest lecturer at Wake Forest University. When her class first gathered, Angelou spent the entire period having her students introduce themselves to one another; during the next two class sessions, she also took significant time to review the students’ names, making sure that each member of the class could identify their classmates by name. At that third class, Angelou asked her students, ‘Why did I spend nearly 20% of our valuable class time together making sure you knew each other’s names?’

After a profound silence, she answered her own question: ‘Because your name is a sign of your dignity. When you recognize someone’s name, you recognize them not just as human but as a person. One of the greatest ways you bestow human dignity on someone is by calling them by name.’

Charlotte’s story is the reason that Fr. Peter, Fr. John and I have tried so hard to learn your names (and appreciate it when you help us do this), We are a parish family; and it is important that no one is a stranger under this roof.

Recently, many new families and individuals have joined us at Eucharist. Many of these folks continue with us to coffee hour or our monthly pancake breakfasts. More often than not, no one welcomes them or asks their name. For a parish that describes itself (see bulletin masthead) as a “welcoming oasis” - all too frequently fall far short of goal.

At recent parish council meetings, we’ve discussed re-establishing a dormant “Newcomer Welcoming Committee” to address this shortcoming. I suspect that within the next few months we’ll have something in the works.

But for now, I urge you to be alert to the important role you play in welcoming and getting to know the names of those who sit near you at Mass or at Coffee Hour.

Bath, like many small communities, seems to require that you’ve lived here for at least 40 years before ceasing to be a “newcomer.” Some of us don’t have that many years left.

So please, continue reach out in welcome to anyone you see around you in church whose name you do not know.

But there is another side to this story, for being welcomed is only the beginning. As one of the credit card ads says “Membership has its benefits” and, I would add, responsibilities.

Some of our newcomers have taken the “plunge” and registered. When they do, I earnestly try to get to know them by name (and frankly, often check their registration card to help cement names into my aging memory bank.)

Still others seem to resist the idea of officially joining our parish family even though they worship with us regularly. I don’t understand why that is, but I do heartily invite them to make a commitment to this wonderful faith community.

Registration cards are available in the sacristy or call or stop by the parish office and we’ll get one to you. Then, get involved. Volunteer to host a coffee hour, get the kids into faith formation and/or youth ministry, join one of our liturgical assemblies or attend an adult education program. We want you to call this parish “home”.

Pentecost Sunday

At next Sunday’s 9:00 a.m. Mass will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost and Mother’s Day. At this Mass, several of our parish young people will be receiving their First Communion.

You and I will also have an opportunity to recommit ourselves to personal spiritual renewal through the diocesan Spirit Alive initiatives. Pentecost is one of my favorite Feasts. Fr. Peter and I will be wearing RED. Will you?

Have a good week. Serve one another well.

Deacon Ray

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Bulletin: May 4th, 2008