Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

I somehow think that other rectors did not spend their last days of sabbatical crawling clubs in Chicago or dancing in front of the stage at Buddy Guy’s. But that is how my time away ended and I loved every minute of it.

As I spend my first days back at St. Andrew’s I am trying not to lose the freedom and spirit that I felt in my four months away. The time in Africa put me in touch with other cultures that unhooked me from the driven American linear life and gave me a new flow. Time at Taize unhooked me further. Traipsing Sicilian streets and ruins, I connected to La Dolce Vita and then spent time in Chicago leading the High Life.

I have come home to a church that likes to party. I thought it was hilarious that I spent a good portion of my first day back in the office making arrangements for our upcoming June 2 Annual Auction with a theme of Margaritaville: A Night in Key West. This Friday we will be hosting an African Rhythms Coffee House. This Sunday is our Rose Brunch, a fabulous feast for all our church school volunteers. Then the Pentecost picnic. Then Cosmic Bowling with the acolytes.

Though my introverted priest friends will cower at the thought, one big role for the priesthood is party planner. Keeping the feast is a primary role of the priest presider.

I think the ancient Mayans had it down. They conquered agriculture and fed their people leaving them time to plan elaborate ceremonies. The entire cycle of life revolved around preparing for festivals, holding festivals, and cleaning up after festivals. In many ways that is what the church does as it moves through the year. And we do it very well here back at home in Seattle, both upstairs in the sanctuary, downstairs in the Parish Hall, and outside in the yard.

Northwest First Nations people developed the Potlatch, weeklong rituals in which a balance of storytelling, gift-giving, games, feasting, and dance re-arranged the wealth of the community through extravagant generosity.

We have the Eucharist. Not just the one at the altar on Sunday morning with wafers and sips of wine. But the fund raising dinners, the teen dances, the parish picnics, bowling with the acolytes – literally everything we do is Eucharist. And it ain’t a crime to have a good time doing it.