Readings

• “Why I Wake Early” by Mary Oliver
• “For My Young Friends Who Are Afraid” by William Stafford

Sermon

We are entering unknown terrain together, you and I. We are meeting for the first time at the edge of uncharted territory. You have gone through the departure of a minister, one of the most significant events in the life of a church. You begin the year without a director of religious education. And you have suffered the death of a longtime staff member upon whom many of you relied. Some of you were very close to Laura, or Barbara, or Ed. Some of you are grieving, or feel confused, or anxious about all the change.

This church, this little ship, is sailing into unknown waters. It’s a bit like drifting to the edge of those old maps where it was written, “Here be dragons…” And you’ve got this brand new Interim Minister on board, and you don’t have a clue if she’s worth her weight in sailing skills.

Here be dragons…that’s what they wrote in the old times to designate a region so far away it was unimaginable. Here be dragons. Who here likes dragon stories? Now, we know—those of us who are fond of dragon stories—we know that dragons are fearsome and have all kinds of terrifying abilities like breathing fire, and flying, and sometimes other magical powers. They are formidable, and going anywhere near a dragon, or even where there MIGHT BE a dragon, is a scary idea.

But if you like dragon stories, you also know that dragons often have treasure—scads and scads of treasure. Diamonds and rubies and emeralds and gold—bracelets and bangles and crowns. And—if you have read a lot of dragon stories from all over the world, then you also know that sometimes dragons are very wise. And some of them are very good. And sometimes they are not all they seem.

So if here be dragons, then perhaps we may meet some of the better kinds of dragons, the kind that like to share their treasure. The kind which won’t turn your eyebrows into a smoky crisp.

An interim ministry is a period of life in a church when we deliberately go out into new country and we look for dragons. We intentionally seek the treasure and the wisdom that dragons can share with us. I am charged with assisting you in this endeavor. And, as a stranger among you, I have brought my suitcase along with me. (Get suitcase…)

This suitcase has lots of interesting things in it. But first, it is of importance itself. This suitcase shows us all that I am but a visitor here. My work with you is by definition transitional, temporary. When my time with you comes to an end, I’ll pick up this suitcase and head on to my next assignment. And you will begin a new ministry with your called and settled minister.

Now, what’s inside the suitcase? You know, I need some people to help me out here, if there are one or two volunteers who might be willing to help me unpack this suitcase…(volunteers from children).

The first things in this suitcase are a few items to remind me of home. As most of you know, my family is remaining in Portland while I am here with you. I’ll be going back and forth each week. I have two teenagers in high school, and so I’ve brought a photo of them when they were little to keep on my desk. And, to stay in touch, I’ve got my cell phone and also my laptop—better parenting through technology!

I’ve got some more items that are dear to me: some things from Transylvania. I have a deep connection to the Unitarians of Transylvania, which is in Eastern Europe, and if you visit me in my office, you’ll see lots of things made by the people there. Here is an embroidery which says “Egy az Isten.” This is means “God is one,” and is the motto of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania.

I also have a collection of children’s books in my office, books that I love, and I do hope that you young people will come by and see me and the shelf that is especially for you.

I also have my book of Rilke, which I use as a morning meditation every day. I begin my day with meditation and prayer. Those of you who think prayer doesn’t do anything—and I know you’re out there and you’ll come and tell me this in the coffee hour—not to worry. I do this for me, not because I think it changes anything but because I need it. I pray for myself, and I pray for this church and for the leaders with whom I am working. This practice keeps me grounded and centered and I hope it will help me serve you better.

And I have some things to get me acclimated here: a few maps, some guides to Edmonds, so people can tell me where to go…

And then I have some items that are specific to the work of our interim time together.

The first interim task is claiming and honoring the past and healing griefs and conflicts.

Every ministerial departure, whether conflicted or smooth, causes sorrow in the congregation. We will make time this fall to talk about Ed’s resignation and to share feelings about it. We will mourn the death of Barbara Sand. And we will reach further back and explore together the rich history of this church and how things got to be the way they are. To do this work, we will need… heart—like the Tin Man, we will need a heart…a heart of compassion, a heart of courage, a heart of tender listening to one another. So here is our heart—a little green heart stone.

And we might shed tears or sweat a little when working together, and so we have some handkerchiefs in here…

The second interim task is illuminating the congregation’s unique identity, strengths, and challenges. My job, as your Interim Minister, is to reflect back to you what I see in you, and so we have a mirror. A mirror shows us how we appear to observers. It can also reflect light.

And we have a Jenga game here…who knows how to play Jenga? You know what happens as you play? You pull out each of these pieces and gradually there is more air and light let into the structure…allowing us to see more clearly what is essential.

The third interim task is navigating the shifts in leadership that accompany times of transition. You are in a time of great change in your staff and obviously in ministry. And as we begin to examine the structures of the church and look at the changes you would like to make, those who have held certain roles for many years can begin to see other ways to serve, and new people can come forward to offer their gifts. A new energy will begin to animate this church, and there will be shifts and transitions in both the structures, as you decide freshly how you want to do things, and in the people, as new life breaks forth. It is exciting, exhilarating work, and it helps to have some guides. A compass would be good, and in fact we have what might be called a church compass—this copy of Churchworks. Full of good wisdom and direction for creating a vibrant and thriving church community.

The fourth task of interim ministry is renewing connections with resources within and beyond the district and the UUA. As those of you who attended General Assembly know, we belong to a vibrant faith community, and the wider district and association have so many resources to offer. There are a lot of churches doing truly amazing things, and we can learn from one another. This UUA directory contains a wealth of resources. And this chalice ornament shows us all the color and passion you can gain from these connections.

You also have the wider ecumenical community, which has more in common with us than not. We share our vision of a just community with so many other faith traditions, so here is a magazine from the Alban Institute and a newsletter from the local interfaith group.

We also stand in a great stream of Unitarian history, which begins before the Reformation and stretches through nearly five hundred years. Our faith, which celebrates human reason and says that love is the greatest truth—our faith has nurtured generations of people through every hardship. It has new applications for this age and new truths to be illuminated.

And we can thank those who came before us and were so courageous. This communion chalice, which came from a Unitarian church that dates back to the sixteenth century—this can remind us of our heritage and the promise of our future.

Our future…your future…the fifth interim task is to engage the future with vision, strength, anticipation, and zest. We are just beginning to talk about your future, but we will start to dream and plan…and to help us, we have this star chart. We can map your future in the stars…each of you imagining all the possibilities. Imagine where you might go, following the stars—(throw ball to congregation).

Now, you may be wondering if Interim Ministers also do the normal things that other ministers do. And the answer is yes, and no. First, the no. My work with you is very focused upon these interim tasks, and it means that I won’t be able to teach as many classes or do any work in the community as a settled minister would do.

But yes, as an interim minister I am your minister, and I am available to you for the normal needs of ministry. I will preach three Sundays a month, and keep office hours –generally Monday and Tuesday, and then I’ll go home for the rest of the week. I will do the things that ministers do. If you or someone you love goes into the hospital, and you would like me to visit you, I will. I will talk with you if you are grieving, or about spiritual issues. I will attend committee meetings, support and supervise the staff, and work with the board.

For a settled minister, the symbol of their work is the stole, and so here is mine. But I have two other things that will be needed in this work: my cell phone and my laptop. Ah! Better MINISTRY through technology! I will do my best to be available even when I’m away from you. I do travel some for denominational duties, but do not hesitate to send me an e-mail or call me.

And finally, there’s one last thing in this bag: a little tin of Atone-mints. Because I am human and can and do err, I will no doubt make a mistake now and then and will need to ask for your forgiveness. And I can freshen my breath at the same time!

We have much to do together—a country to cross as we move from grief and loss and uncertainty into the new terrain of vision and hopefulness. There is a country to cross, the poet said, you will find in the corner of your eye. That country is there for us, carried as it is crossed.

The dream, the vision, the new country is already within you, and we go forth to find that which you have always loved. It will take you into yourselves, it will bless you and keep you.

May it be so, my friends, this year and all the days to come.

AMEN.

© Cecilia Kingman Miller 2007