Beginning the Good Byes

I've been here for 20 months now, a long time for an interim (the new term is transition ministry specialist).  The Search Committee is starting to interview candidates.  Most of the work I could do as their interim has been done and now the winding down is beginning.  It's good that they're doing their interviewing at this time of year, since winter is bleak and long here in the mountains of Maine.  The summer folk are starting to return with the major influx beginning in June.  The lake is clear of ice (ice out happened some time during Monday night (April 27) so that was pretty early.  Of course having two days when the temperature reached 80°F helped.  The daffodils are just beginning to open and the trees are budding.  The lilac in front of the Rectory is almost ready to leaf.

This part of the work of transition ministry is about commitment to a new future.  That is the work of the congregation.  I will start preaching about all that has been accomplished in these 20 plus months together and pointing them towards the future.  I hope we do a lot of celebrating.  The first "celebration" is a pork roast dinner to raise a bit of money to spruce up the Rectory.  It's quite new so it really doesn't need much, but a new coat of paint, some repairs to the decks and porch roof, work on the drainage in the garage (melting snow gets under the door and since the drain is frozen it just sits there only to ice up) and a new carpet in the living room.   The meals that the church has are lots of fun.  A lot of people from town come, not just parishioners.  Our kitchen and hall are much in demand by local groups.  Then we'll celebrate Memorial Day with a brunch after church and in July there's the BBQ on the third, which I won't be there for since I'll be in Europe.  After the new priest accepts and sets a starting date we'll have a party to celebrate my time with them.  So there's lot of celebration around here.

I'm really glad that Izzie doesn't care where she lives, as long as I'm there.  It can be a bit unsettling to not know where you're going next.  Izzie does take a proprietary interest in the church buildings though.  They're hers.  She seems to feel the same way about any place we go, after we've been there a bit.  It takes her a few weeks to get her bearings and then she figures out who will bring her treats and where she's allowed to go and then it's hers.