Friday, June 22, 2007

Dear God,

We met as a staff, drove one hour to our destination, a holy site, Sisters of St. Joseph. The Catholic nuns welcomed us as they have for 15 years.

Eight of us gathered to retreat together, to build community, to plan and prepare for the next two years, to worship, and to celebrate. We are an unusual, uncommon group of people. I told a new administrative assistant when she started a year ago that we are a witty group of people who know how laugh at ourselves and with each other. We know how to tease and be silly. We know how to affirm one another, to help each other and to live out our faith with intentionality. We all love God and feel this calling to serve.

We made dinner together, spaghetti, salad, and bread, all the while chiding our music director because he didn't bring one of his fabulous desserts. After prayer we ate at the dining room table, giving God thanks for the food and one another. Then we gathered in the front room of the Little Noddfa House. I gave an overview of our retreat, what I had hoped we would accomplish, plan, prepare for the next two years.

For the next two hours we talked about the ministry happenings in our church. We talked about new ministries, hoped-for-ministries, current ministries and how they correlated with our church's five goals. Time after time we saw how they were dovetailing and what progress we were making in fulfilling hopes and dreams.

At nearly 10:00 p.m. about half retired to their beds, while four of us spent time deciding what animal we would be if we were an animal and what color of paint we would be and the kind. We laughed until our sides nearly split. The creme de la creme of silliness came out of us. As I unrolled my sleeping bag in the chapel (all the beds were taken) I thought of the many blessings this staff brings to our congregation. With a prayer of thanksgiving I fell asleep.

Lord of laughter,
what joy you bring
your people.
The ability to smile,
to laugh and tease,
to poke gentle fun,
to enjoy one another
is gift to all who receive it.
You have gathered
these people,
these blessed women and men
to serve your church.
You allowed me
the opportunity
to share with them
and I am indeed privileged
to do so.
Thank you
for my colleagues,
your servants,
my friends
and co-horts in crime.
I am blessed.

Love, Andrea