Mary Halvorson and Dan Garness (married) have been co-pastors of Grace University Lutheran Church for twenty-eight years. Tomorrow is their last Sunday and they retire officially at the end of May. Tonight is their farewell but it will be via Zoom because of COVID. After so many years it's hard to say goodbye. Goodbye is even more complicated because we've not been in-person with them for over a year. In addition, there is the complication of needing to resort to a Zoom farewell.
Certainly this will complicate their grief. It will certainly complicate the congregation's grief, too. I have been advocating for a long period of interim to allow for adequate grief work. There's not much sign that my concern has gained any traction. Calling rapidly before the grief work has done risks making the newly called pastor an un-intentional interim.
Takk for alt,
Al
PS Last night I appended a brief poem from Emily Dickinson, whose birthday is today. A commenter asked why I posted it. I posted it because I think the great work of all persons is "inner work" and that's a reminder of how important is the inner life.
A great Hope fell
You heard no noise
The Ruin was within
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