There are many ways that the members of a congregation come to support one another. At our size, it’s impossible to know everything unfolding in the lives of those around us on a Sunday morning. But through the sharing of our joys and sorrows during the weekly service, we learn of the struggles and the celebrations that touch our common life, affirming that “what touches the life of one of us affects us all.” We may not always know the people whose names are mentioned, but somehow hearing of births and engagements and anniversaries, of milestones and illnesses and deaths, we are reminded of the great cycle of life to which we all belong. We are reminded that our days are a dance between suffering and the rapture that are simply part of life. In hearing one another’s joys and sorrows, we are reminded of the humanity we all share. This need not always happen in the structure of worship. It happens in the check-ins that take place at the beginning of many meetings and most small group gatherings around First. Recently, in an effort to help bring each other up to speed on major milestones, the families in our Religious Education program have begun sharing joys and sorrows as part of their weekly email update. And, every Tuesday afternoon, as we gather in my office, the staff, after lighting the chalice and checking in, lifts up the joys and sorrows of which we are aware in the congregation. It’s a poignant, prayerful time for us all. And, it’s one of the ways that we hold each other in our hearts. May we seek out ever more ways to share the stuff of our lives. In faith, Shawn

Given the demands of newsletter deadlines, I write to you from Jerusalem while still on sabbatical. While you will no doubt be regaled for years to come with stories of my adventures in the Middle East, I can share with you that this has already been an amazing journey of discovery and insight.

As Nicholas Woodsworth has put it, “if you’re interested in watching the tectonic plates of world religion collide and grind together, this is the place to be.” And, so it is. As a student of the world’s religious traditions, I have found it particularly rich to be here—to hear the Muslim call to prayer sounding over this ancient city throughout the day, to witness the devotion with which Christian pilgrims journey to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and to stand at the Western Wall with a prayer in my heart for peace.

I have, as hoped, also gained a clearer view into the tensions that sit at the heart of this conflicted part of the world, though I certainly leave here with more questions than answers. Alongside the more spiritually sublime moments, I carry home with me troubling memories of visits to two refugee camps in the West Bank and watching, from a relatively safe distance, a violent confrontation between Muslim worshippers and Israeli Defence Forces unfold on the Temple Mount following Friday prayers. I feared, in making this trip, that I might see only the polished parts of life here, but, for better and for worse, I’ve glimpsed some of the harsher realities, as well. I imagine I will be “unpacking” from this trip for a long time to come.

So, let me again express my deep thanks for the congregation’s gift of having this time away for renewal and reflection. I look forward to telling you all about it. And, I very much look forward to being home!

In faith and love,

Shawn

In the coming weeks, I will be taking my first sabbatical—a break of a few weeks when I will step away from the day-to-day responsibilities of serving as your minister so that I might focus on my own growth and renewal as a minister. Such breaks are a common feature in our faith, which recognizes the need for clergy to return to the wells of inspiration in order to best serve our congregations in a sustainable way. While tradition has been that a minister goes on sabbatical for seven months after seven years of service, I subscribe to the emerging wisdom that there is benefit for both the congregation and the minister when sabbaticals are shorter and occur more often. Depending on how this first attempt goes, I will likely continue some variation of taking a month or so a year.

While I’m away this winter, the congregation will be in very good hands. I am grateful to my colleagues Peter Hughes, Julie Stoneberg, and Fiona Heath who will be filling our pulpit with wit and wisdom. Fiona and the Pastoral Care Team will be available to assist should you need pastoral support, and area colleagues are on-call to help out should any emergencies arise. As always, the Board, the Convenors, and the Staff will keep the congregation running smoothly.

Mostly, I want to express my deep gratitude for this great gift of time that I might bring back new energy and insights into my work with you at First Unitarian. On this sabbatical, I will be spending time in Israel, Palestine, and Turkey, hoping to broaden my own understanding of the foundations of three of the world’s great religious traditions, as well as hoping for insight into the ancient and enduring conflicts rooted in that part of the world. I’m sure I’ll come back with a lot to say!

All the best in these wondrous weeks of winter!

Shawn

What shall I preach about? It’s a question never far from any preacher’s thoughts. Though occasionally a job hazard—it makes it hard, for example, to read a book or watch a movie without seeing potential sermon illustrations everywhere, it is also a beautiful and blessed way to move through the world. I am ever grateful for the privilege of preaching and the particular lens it gives to me as I go through each day.

Soon after I arrived four years ago, I sought your input about the topics you would like for me to preach on. Now that I’ve pretty much exhausted that list. I’m back for more! What would you like to hear a sermon on? What are the big questions you’re wrestling with in your life? What’s your biggest spiritual challenge at the moment? I hope you’ll  share your answers with me, either on the form in the Order of Service on an upcoming Sunday or by email.

Additionally, on January 15, I’m planning a “Question Box” sermon, in which I’ll take up as many questions as I possibly can in eighteen minutes. So, what questions about our faith, our history, our congregation, and so forth would you like to hear addressed from the pulpit? Obviously, I can’t cover everything in a single sermon. And, I may not have anything meaningful to say on every question. But, I do appreciate your entering into the creative process with me by sharing the questions on your hearts and minds.

As we stand at the threshold of a new year, let me wish each of you a marvellous 2012!

Best Wishes, Shawn