Blessed Are the Interims
Annual Meeting – June 4, 2015
by David Hudson
I have it on good authority that there will be other opportunities to say “thank you” to Meredith and Janet over the next few weeks. Still, we did not want to let this opportunity pass. One cannot say “thank you” enough, especially to these two.
Do you remember the first day of school, or the last time you started a new job? Where would you sit? What would the day bring? Would you like the people? Would they like you?
Can you remember how you felt for the first couple of weeks and months? You had to figure out how these people did things. There were names, procedures, and a million other things to learn, not to mention figuring out where you fit in the system. It often takes six months to a year before you feel like you really hit your stride.
Now imagine hitting your groove and having to stop, set everything aside, and start all over again somewhere else. Just when things have gotten to that magical spot where they feel routine and comfortable, it’s time to move on.
Now consider doing this all far from home. You not only have to move and find a place to live, but friends and family are far away. There are new grocery stores and pizza joints and banks. There are no cups of coffee from your favorite spot or familiar walks in old parks. Everything is new and different and Yankee New England is not folksy Minnesota. Well, maybe the winter was familiar, maybe too familiar.
You have been invited to lead a community, but can’t help but feel like an outsider. You are the shepherd for a flock that isn’t your own. Your task is to lead them, to help them through their transition, to guide them towards your replacement. It is your job, then, to smile at their joy and fade quietly into the background. It is your job to learn all their names, just in time to say goodbye.
Their “here, but not here” interim-ness really hit home for me when we voted to call Allison. There we were in our moment of glory, but neither of them could be there to share it with us. By design they were out of town to make room, to make way. It felt strange and a little bittersweet to not be able to celebrate with them, to thank them, to show them our proud achievement.
So here we are, delivered joyously unto the Promised Land, and the time for goodbyes is almost at hand. But Janet and Meredith, we will not let you go lightly into the night.
Neither of you are bold and flashy, but you have left your mark on this institution, on our community, and in our hearts. Your quiet grace and gentle demeanors belie an inner strength and a sense of purpose. You have shared new ideas and listened to ours. You have rolled up your sleeves, joined us in the trenches, and helped us prepare.
Ladies, there is no question, among all assembled, that your time with us has been a blessing, a gift. Your leadership, your generosity of spirit, and that strength have been much relied on over the past year.
Janet: You put the “bonus” in bonus year. Your self-deprecating style has served you well, and we all welcome your counsel. You’re as gentle as a lamb with the strength of a lion. Hmm… maybe your mane should have been a clue.
Meredith: You have shared your passion for RE with us. Your fresh perspective has been invaluable, and you have helped put the “L” in DLRE. We will miss your thought provoking questions and Midwestern charm.
I encourage everyone in the congregation to take a moment over the next couple of weeks to let Janet and Meredith know how grateful you are to them. Share a smile, a story, or a hug. (Goodbyes are not the time to be laconic or shy.)
Janet, Meredith, while your ministries with us are almost at an end, your place in our hearts has just begun. Wherever your paths take you and whatever congregations have the privilege of calling you theirs, know that these doors will always be open to you. You are outsiders no more. You will always have a family here.
While I am here, I think it only fitting to acknowledge one other interim. Although to be fair, I have only heard Harry refer to himself as an interim once, and he did not have to move here from Minnesota. (They are remodeling his kitchen, but I hardly think that compares.)
Harry has been a tremendous leader of the board and this congregation. You may not guess it from his self-assured composure behind the pulpit, but Harry thinks of himself as more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy. This year he has been anything but. He has been an active participant in all of the board’s efforts. I think he may need to update his self-assessment, Twitter profile, and whatnot.
I hope you’ll join me in thanking him too.
For posterity the aforementioned interims were:
* Janet — our interim Minister, Rev. Janet Newman,
* Meredith — our interim Director of Lifespan Religious Education, Meredith Olson, and
* Harry — our 'interim' President, Harry Purkhiser.
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