May Weather Report
The ground was covered. The snow had done its work quietly and completely. Slippery surfaces necessitated that I move inside to complete my daily constitution.
The church facility and its numerous stairs allowed for thorough exercise. There was the opportunity for seeing and listening to this space too. The late Thomas Merton spoke of finding soul in place. There is in all visible things and invisible fecundity, a dimmed light, a meek namelessness, a hidden wholeness. 1
As I walked through a specific area of the building, I was awash in reminders of the things that had transpired in its rooms and halls. Lapping the Fellowship Hall I recalled our life together around the tables sharing a meal. The room was set up for RITI that coming Thursday night, a ministry we cherish. The memory of certain individuals standing in that room to share an experience was especially sweet. A large grin perched upon my face.
The sanctuary was a treasury of poignant recollections. In this very room, worship has enriched those who gathered by faith. Memorable baby dedications, baptisms, weddings, and tender funerals have buoyed our hearts and infused our lives with meaning. Echoes of congregational singing and choral concerts resonated within me.
I believe this serendipitous change to my daily exercise regimen allowed me to perceive the “invisible fecundity” of our life together. I experienced some of the “hidden wholeness” that is grounded in the authentic and truest self of this congregation. I finished exercising with a large measure of gratitude for the family God is making of us. This prompted me to carry a copy of the church directory during my walk the following day, giving thanks for each individual listed as I walked.
Out of many, God makes a family. A regeneration that requires grace and leadership. Gratefully, God equips and calls people to serve. Many answer and faithfully work.
This month, we recognize two women who have faithfully tended the soul of our congregation. Marilyn Shadinger and Becky Atkinson have worked toward and lived into the authentic and truest self of our church for seventeen and ten years respectively. Their constancy, like a compass, has pointed to the magnetic north of God. Through excellence, they have led us and have flourished. Both are retiring from their respective positions as Associate Minister of Music and Parent’s Day Out Director; we are eternally grateful.
On Sunday May 23 we will recognize Marilyn and Becky as a part of worship. I invite you to join me in expressing gratitude to them for their ministry through Immanuel Baptist Church. My respect for these two women is immense. I have learned by their example and through their way of seeing the world. I count it a joy to have worked alongside of them.
—Pastor Steven
1 Merton, Thomas. “Hagia Sophia.” The Collected Poems of Thomas Merton. P.363.
