In all of life, there are many comings and goings. On June 17 in 2012, Greensburg United Methodist Church held a lovely service in which they said goodbye to Jimmy as their pastor. They had a loving and productive connection for the three years of that appointment, and that day, they said some kind things, offered him some meaningful gifts, and enacted several farewell rituals. In one of them, they had helped the children learn a song to sing to him. Knowing he was a diehard Cubs fan, the song was a playful rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, with alternate lyrics. It was all very clever, but the ending was especially fun. The children sang, “…and it’s one, two, three years, you’re out, at Greensburg Methodist Church.” When they sang, “You’re out”, they all raised their thumbs, mimicking an umpire calling someone out at home plate. Everyone laughed out loud, including Jimmy. He found it delightful that the leaders who worked with the children allowed them to be “Bishop” for a day, sending him merrily and lovingly on his way to the next appointment.
Psalm 121 is one of the “psalms of ascent”, which pilgrims sang on their way to Jerusalem for one of their three festivals. The psalm declares the guidance and protection for the pilgrims on the way. “The sun shall not strike you by day nor the moon by night.” And it concludes with these lines: “The LORD will bless your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”
We are at heart a pilgrim people, and in life and faith, we are always on journey. We are always, as it were, coming and going. Part of the way we enrich the life of our community is to bless these entries and departures. And we will honor that in the service on Sunday. Mary Beth and Jimmy will co-preach a sermon titled, “Meeting Ourselves Coming and Going,” arising from Psalm 121 and Luke 10: 1-9, 17-20. During the service, we’ll honor the “coming” of several new members. We’ll also welcome the return of our Appalachia Service Project (ASP) team who spent the week in Jonesville, Virginia. We’ll also include a blessing for Jimmy and the church as he commences his Clergy Renewal Leave, which is being funded by the Lilly Endowment. We’ll sing hymns, pray and have a moment for children. We will be led musically by the Chancel Choir, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs.
If you have been a part of the St. Mark’s community for years, or if you are just discovering us, we look forward to connecting with you on Sunday. To join the 10:30 service online, visit www.smumc.church, and click on the Live Stream banner.