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Elm
Street Congregational Church Newsletter
A Letter from Pastor Linda
March 2010
Dear Friends,
I don’t know about all of you, but I can tell you that
each year, after Christmas has come and gone. I take a deep
breath, I say a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift given to all
of us in the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and then I take
a week off to recover and renew. The season of Advent and
Christmas is always busy with the preparations that lead up
to Christmas Eve: banner building, Advent candle lighting,
concerts, the Blue Christmas service, delivering poinsettias
and baskets for our homebound members, and the other
minutia that is such an important part of planning for this
liturgical season of waiting and celebration. And I know I
am not alone in saying that the “busyness” of the season,
whether it be church related or family related, can be
tiring indeed. Many of us long for a time of rest, not just
during the season, (when rest seems to be one of those gifts
that we may not find placed under the Christmas tree,
wrapped in festive paper, and topped with a large, brightly
colored bow), but afterwards as well.
All of us lead such busy lives. I know that for me as a
pastor, my daily work week revolves around the church.
Meetings, visitations, counseling, outreach, worship
preparation and sermon writing, conference work, and
community work, keeps me on my toes, and many weeks,
especially if I am called to do a funeral service or a wedding,
there is little time left over for family, friends, and just plain
rest. And I know many of you live on a very similar
schedule. I have come to the realization though that living
a life that allows barely any time for renewal and rest is a
sure fire way to burn out and to possibly make yourself sick,
maybe not in body, but in spirit and mind and I would say
that I am probably not alone in that revelation.
About two months ago I went before the Church and
Ministry Committee of the Hancock-Waldo Association for
my periodic review. This is a time when a minister can sit
down with the members of the committee, along with our
conference minister, David Gaewski, to “check-in,” and to
let them know how you, as a minister, and the congregation
you are serving, are doing. Joan Jordan Grant, a
contemplative, and a member of that committee and one of
the founders and owners of the Alcyon Center, a place for
spiritual retreat located in Seal Cove on Mount Desert, asked
me a question related to my sabbatical leave that is coming
up in June. Joan knows, as well as I do, that many pastors
take their sabbatical time to study, to take courses, to travel
to various places around the globe that are known for feeding
ones body, mind and spirit, like Taize, France or the Iona
Community in Scotland. She also knows that I lead a very
busy life both within the church setting and also as a
community volunteer. So Joan asked me, “Linda, during your sabbatical, how are you going to feed yourself
spiritually?” Now I have been thinking about this
for a long while now and my answer to her was
simple and clear. “I am going to take care of me”
was my reply. “I am going to take time to rest, to
read, to knit, to spend time with my husband, my
children, my grandchildren, and my animals. What
feeds me spiritually is time with my loved ones
and time in the outdoors and so Dick and I are
spending a month at China Lake. I experience God
in that place.” Joan was very happy with this
answer because it was “me” and “God” centered,
which in this instance she felt was a good thing,
and so do I. I am speaking to all of us who tend to
be “work-aholics.” Rest and renewal is critical to
our well being. I am not alone in this congregation
when it comes to working hard and community
involvement. There are many of you who fit that
same mold and I hope that all of you know who
you are. Time for “me” and time for God has to be
part of our daily ritual; there needs to be time to
enter into an attitude of prayer, a time of
communing with God, where there are no other
distractions to take you from God’s presence. God
is always there for us, walking with us, holding us
when needed, supporting and encouraging us and
pushing us to be all that we can be. But in our
busyness we many times tend not to have time for
God, or we miss God’s still speaking small voice
that speaks to our heart and to our mind and we
miss it because we tend to get so caught up in our
running around that we don’t take time to listen, to
discern, and to “be.” So, hard though it is to change
our habits of working 24/7, my vow as we enter
into this season of Lent is to change, to take time
for myself and more importantly, time to be in
God’s presence and to listen and hear God’s voice
speaking to me. That resolution means I have to
change, a disturbing and scary word to be sure.
How many of you need to change also? Be honest
with yourselves and then make that effort. It will
make all the difference in your life and how you
live it.
We will soon be entering into the season of
Lent, the 40 days that lead up to Holy Week. It is
a time of reflection, repentance (turning around
and going in a new direction) and for feeding the
spirit, your spirit, with the love and presence of
God. May Lent be a time of renewal for you, a
time when you take care of your spirit and a time
when you let the spirit of God fill your well to
overflowing and a time when you get close and
personal with the God who loves you and cares for
you.
During this Lenten season, SLOW DOWN, take
some time each day for you and God. Be disciplined
about this and don’t make excuses. “I’m too busy”
doesn’t cut it when it comes to your relationship with
God. God always has time for you. Spend some time
each day with God. Fill your well with God’s Holy
Spirit and renew your relationship with the Holy One.
My dear friend and in care advisor, Rev. Susan
Stonestreet, gave me some really good advice as I
was wrestling with taking just one more summer
course my junior year at the seminary. She told me
to take the summer off, to rest and renew, and she
said to me, “Linda. Just sit and listen to the flowers
grow.” What good advice for all of us to remember.
Take time with God not just during these 40 days,
but take time with God every day of your life. It
will make all the difference in the world. Blessings
to all of you as you walk this journey through Lent.
Yours in Christ’s Love,

Rev. Linda A. Smith, Minister
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