Four Incredible Years
It was a bright sunny afternoon under the trees by the parish hall. Earlier that day, I had cleaned the table and bench because no one had been sitting on it for a long time. The reason was that the whole country had been battling a deadly virus and not many people were coming to our campus, whether to visit or to worship. Life around Christ Church was somewhat lifeless, but the desire to keep the little life within and around Christ Church was such that the deadly virus wouldn’t prevent us from meeting.
And so, we met - Archdeacon Jane O’Leary, Deacon Denise, and I met on May 23, 2020, to evaluate and discern the possibility of having Deacon Denise be assigned to Christ Church. It was indeed a great meeting. I liked her the moment I saw her and heard her story and the path she had been traveling up until our meeting. More importantly, I fell in love with her ministry aspirations - she understood the role of the deacon and wanted to live out that calling Christ Church.
In many ways, I saw a partner in Deacon Denise. I saw someone who shared in my vision of touching lives and changing lives, someone who believed in outreach and was willing to do the very best that she could to be the hands of God to touch and hold those who needed to be comforted, a simple touch to remind each that they are God’s beloved; the eyes of God-to see and behold the tragedies of inequalities of our community and world; the legs of God-to walk in the shoes and on the paths where no one wants to walk but increasing numbers of God children in our world walk anyway; the mouth of God- to say the unsayable, to remind each of us of the duty that we owe to each other, a duty that springs out of love than anything else, and a voice which advocates for justice and invites all to embrace the cause of justice as the transforming tool of our human story.
Over the past four years - since our meeting under the tree - I have had a wonderful working relationship with Deacon Denise. We have not had one single quarrel, nor have we had any come-to-Jesus’ moment. Ours has always been a relationship grounded in mutual respect and the sheer understanding that our ability to communicate with each other and be transparent with each other goes a long way in building a trusting relationship. I have benefitted from her wise counsel and pastoral leadership.
A year into her ministry at Christ Church, there was a unique opportunity to expand our ministries-there were refugees from Afghanistan relocating to the area. Can we discern the possibility of sponsoring a refugee family? That, in itself, was a big ask because we were in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, and our budget situation was such that we couldn’t take on an added ministry. As a matter of fact, I had a parishioner accuse me of manipulating the discernment process in order to fit into an already-determined position.
I wish that parishioner was still around to witness the blessing of this ministry.
But the question is, what is the point of faith if we cannot trust that we serve a God of possibilities?
At the conclusion of our discernment, I tasked Denise with the responsibility of heading and leading this new ministry. What a blessing it has been to see the extent to which this ministry has evolved into an ecumenical, multi-faith, and vibrant organization helping to support, currently, four Afghan refugee families.
You heard Anwar speak last Sunday, when we honored Denise for her ministry. His thoughts are but a snippet of a ministry and a relationship that was beyond his wildest dream. One of the questions his thoughts raised was, "Why would Christians extend a hand of welcome and help Muslims?"
If Anwar thought that every community is supposed to be a closed community, then his family’s relationship with Deacon Denise has opened his eyes to the great benefits of an open community and society - one where we all feel empowered to help out not only those we know, but to help out the total stranger.
For me, it hasn’t only been a great working relationship, but a shared ministry from which I learned a lot, and one which has blessed this congregation in unimaginable ways.
It is hardly the norm that a deacon would be invited to shoulder the pastoral responsibility of a parish like ours. But the fact that I felt very comfortable in inviting her to consider the possibility of leading the parish in my absence demonstrates the confidence in her pastoral leadership but also affirms for me that good relationships count for something.
I will miss her presence and leadership. I will miss her ministry. I will miss being sandwiched between her and Mother Marcia. But I am thankful for each day that she spent with us, each time that she shared her faith story with us, and each day that she advocated for justice for those left on the margins of our society. Each moment of a hug, a handshake, a moment of listening to her share her wisdom at staff meetings, and her devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each moment was a blessing and a true learning experience.
The bench on which we sat still sits under the same tree by the parish house. If benches could speak, I am very sure that that bench would tell a story of an afternoon where one meeting helped transform our common life, helped usher us into a life-giving relationship, and helped brighten our lives with God’s light.
Sincere appreciation to you, Deacon Denise, for four incredible years of ministry and for your time at Christ Church. Nothing fills me with pride than to know that you are a wonderful and gifted pastor.
Godspeed and farewell. We will miss you.
Blessings,
Manny +
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