I left our wonderful Pride Float last Sunday to come to Princeton Theological Seminary, where I have been for part of the week as the Engle Preaching Institute Preacher in Residence. It has been an honor and a privilege to preach to preachers and to share the gospel as we live it. I have lifted up our multi-racial, multi-cultural, fully inclusive and affirming model of ministry in illustrations in my sermons. These preachers are catching a vision from our vision. What a joy!

As this program year comes to an end, and with it my first year as Senior Minister at Middle, I am excited, thankful, relieved, and expectant. I am excited because the staff and I will be able to use the summer to read, plan, restore our souls, and get ready for a fall full of excellent ministry with you. We hope to visit with you in this slower time, to pray with you, to have your thoughts and hopes fuel our planning. Feel free to call the office to make an appointment to see one of us, or all of us, and chat with us about your life.

I am thankful that you have partnered with us. You came in great numbers to celebrations. You gave more offerings—thank you! You came to classes and PeaceTalks and JusticeWorks. You sent money and care packages to Louisiana.

You volunteered at Celebrate Life and Butterfly and served brunch, and served as leaders and decorated the Christmas tree and sang in the choirs and produced the newsletter. You made Advent and Lent and Pride Month amazing celebrations of God’s work in the world and the giftedness of Middle people. There is a long list of volunteers in this Sunday’s bulletin. We cannot do this ministry without you—thank you for everything!

I am relieved that in this time of transition, you were patient with us. You have hung in with us while we work out how best to serve you. Often, when churches change senior leadership, membership drops substantially, and conflicts erupt. You have stayed with us, and we have grown!! Our staff has undergone some changes, and we will undergo some more, as we align our resources with our vision and find the best ways to serve you. Rick came for an interim role, and did his work with grace. Maria came to do youth and learned that she would rather preach (and she can preach!) Freeman, with Annastasia and the band, has made the Jerriese Johnson East Village Gospel Choir so excellent while growing our outreach ministries through JusticeWorks. Freeman will have a new title this year, Minister for Congregational Life and Development. Along with his work with the JJEVGC, he will use his considerable gifts to lead our work in the Gulf, grow our LGBT ministries, spearhead a new Partnership campaign, and strengthen our spiritual community. Other staff will come to do children and youth, education, media, and community organizing.

I am expectant because I know that we are going to have an amazing year. The Vision 2010 team will meet in July to pray, help set new goals, and evaluate where we have been. Our consistory is so amazing and their leadership will take us to new places of deep spiritual growth and outreach to our community. I continue to have great joy planning and leading worship and the arts, and am looking at even more ways for more of us, even non-artists, to use our gifts in worship. I am looking forward to teaching you and visiting with you and hearing about your dreams this year.

I am expectant about next year’s Sunday schedule. We will worship at 9:00 and 11:15 am. There will be childcare at both celebrations for children through age 7; older children will learn to worship with their parents.

Church school for all ages will be at 10:00 am and there will be programming and education seminars at 1:00 pm. We are moving some of our meetings to weeknights, so that Sunday can be more Sabbath-like and worshipful.

Look where God has brought us, one gospel song says, look how far we’ve come. We’re not what we ought to be, but we’re not what we used to be. Thank you Lord, thank you God for what you’ve done! We are open for business all summer; hope to see you!