Summer 2017

What a year so far!  From baptisms to council to becoming a Reconciled in Christ Congregation to weekly confirmation, choir, and Sparktime Learning Hour to spiritually enriching opportunities: choir retreat, women’s retreat, staff retreat, field trip to Mercy Center for Taize, Taize-inspired prayer and song Thursdays in Lent, special music for Epiphany, Lent and Easter from choir, David, Liesl, Bill/Marian/Jim (they should find a name for themselves!), Coastside Chorale, Coastside Orchestra to the Interfaith Prayer Breakfast to weekly centering prayer, Listening to the Word, community breakfasts, and Sunday worship.  Wow!!!

Although I am ready for my sabbatical--an experience I’ve never had in 26 years of ordained ministry, I feel fed, uplifted, encouraged, and connected because of all these experiences of worship and listening from within.  It’s been fun to explore new avenues together and collaborate with staff, choir, council, and various leaders within the church and beyond.  Our staff is amazing!  While I’m gone, they will continue to do their jobs with strength of character, great skill, a spirit of fun, love, and responsibility. We continue to be greatly served by the staff of this congregation! Pastor Mary Ann Fiene, retired pastor and member of CLC will serve in my absence as pastor, preacher and presider.  She is a lovely presence of pastoral care, insight, joy, openness, wisdom, grace, faith, and experience.  What good hands you are in!  Best of all, you have each other! In fact, read further in the newsletter and see who is in your neighborhood from CLC based on an exercise we did at the annual meeting this year.  I encourage each grouping to have to get together at least once this summer to get to know and check in on each other.  Through the blessing of the Holy Trinity, our engagement with each other and beyond makes a difference as we are created into a living breathing Body of Christ growing in faith, word, and deed. Thank you for the many ways you already give, serve, watch out for and care for one another.  I’m proud to serve you. I will miss you while I’m gone!

So what’s my sabbatical about?!  This year we celebrate 500 years since the Reformation! I’ll explore our Lutheran heritage and personal family history by spending time in Germany. I leave May 22 and won’t be back until mid-July.  My journey begins with a phenomenal BIG ecumenical gathering in Berlin with daily prayer, worship, and bible study on the theme, “You See Me” and originates from the biblical story of Hagar in Genesis 16:1-16. There will be worldwide speakers, exhibits in 6 different cities, a Friday night ecumenical communion worship, and festival weekend in Wittenberg with Taize prayer under the stars in a meadow along the Elbe and an outdoor Sunday noonday worship, community picnic, and music festival into the night.  8000 ‘stewards’, mostly youth and young adults will volunteer to help this event run smoothly.  It will be quite the experience!  My husband and I will then travel around Germany and hopefully meet Teuthorns of Germany for the first time.  As he leaves, Patricia and Charles Hoelzel, Eric DeBode, and Pr. Julia McKeon will come.  In Wittenberg, the 5 of us will tell our Reformation TODAY story of the community breakfast and ALL that has evolved from this shared ministry.  It’s quite the story and one we’ll proudly share.  Thank you for ALL you make possible in its existence! I figure over 25 people from CLC alone have served the community breakfast over the last 8+ years.  Phenomenal! Once I return, I’ll celebrate my anniversary, spend time with family near and far, and go to Chicago for a week long conference from the Habits of the Heart Healthy Congregation series through the Center for Courage and Renewal.  This year’s focus is “Making Our Home with the Other.”  Perfect!   I hope to be well nurtured to better serve God, you, and HMB upon my return.  Join me as we bless one another on Sunday, May 21 at either 8 or 10 am worship and our community brunch in between.  Then, hold me/us in heart and prayer. I will do the same for you.  

Check out these resources to learn more about the Reformation and Reformation 500.  Rick Steves gives invaluable information, especially the second half of Germany-Hamburg piece.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaH8zeiMu50  2:34 minutes
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/germany-hamburg  25 mins
http://www.uncommon-travel-germany.com/wittenberg.html

Also, see what happened at our annual Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly in Fresno.  Thank you Suzanne Mau for joining me and being our lay female delegate. Pastor Mary Ann was also there! So we have great representation!  Great keynote, bible study and more!! Check it out by clicking this link.

In the richness of God’s love,

P.S. - Follow Pastor Dawn on her journey through photos on Instagram - www.instagram.com/coastsidelutheran