January 27, 2023
If you were in church last week you are already aware, for those who were not, I'll share in this space that after nearly three years of dodging it, I finally came down with COVID. As of this writing, I am still testing positive, but I am doing well and hoping for that negative test and a return to regular life ASAP! A huge thank you to the Rev. Joanie Delamater who so graciously stepped in at the last minute, to Tony, Naomi, and RaeKell, for carrying on as usual, and to our Verger and Acolyte team. Thank you to Kathy for holding things together at church this week.
Thank you to Andy and Jon for their set up for the Annual Meeting, and for Joan and Dennis for running it. Thank you to Sandy and Nancy for their presentations and to Jeff for presenting the Financials - and for all he does. And thank you to everyone who has checked in, offered to bring food, and kept me in your prayers. I am blessed by your care, and grateful.
One of my deep sadnesses about missing the Annual Meeting was not being able to publicly thank those who stepped down from leadership last week as a new Vestry was voted in. For privacy purposes, I won't use surnames here, but I do not want to miss the chance to publicly thank:
Andy. Andy served his three-year term on Vestry as our IT Liaison, stepping in just as we were beginning to dip our toes into live streaming. His wisdom, expertise, and the calm and clear manner in which he approaches every discussion were so valued. His creativity and ability to see things in new ways often brought solutions to issues on the table. Andy is a true leader and I am grateful he chose to share his leadership with Saint Anne's.
Audrey. Audrey has served as Clerk of Vestry for the last I-don't-know-how-many years. Her faithful presence at each month's meeting was steady and true, and I have absolutely no idea how she always managed to take a full and lively discussion or debate on any given topic, and record it into orderly and organized form. A true skill! Audrey is now moving into a Liaison role on the Vestry, so we will not need to say goodbye, but I did want to say thank you for all of the years of Clerking, Audrey.
Emilie. Emilie served her three-year term on Vestry as our Worship Committee Liaison. She lead monthly Worship meetings with grace, collaboration, and always a warm welcome to new voices. She was also a member of the COVID-Action Team, and her insights into best practices and how to combine that with worship were guidance both teams relied on heavily. (And thank you for stepping up to serve next as Warden, Emilie!!)
Nancy. Nancy stepped into another round of leadership on Vestry as the one-year-term Beautification Liaison...three years ago. Generously agreeing to re-election for two additional years was such a gift. Nancy's eye for detail, her experience in project management, her knack for coming up with manageable solutions for any hurdle, and her willingness to offer her time and energy are huge gifts she shares freely. Thank you, Nancy!
Joan. Joan stepped into leadership as a Warden mid-COVID. That alone deserves a round of applause! But that is just who Joan is. If something needs to be done, she does it, and she isn't afraid to step into the muck of it all. Muck or not, though, over the course of the last two years, Joan and I have spent much of our time together laughing, because Joan is also a person who approaches everything as an adventure, and her "Why not" attitude is contagious. Getting to know Joan as I have over the last few years has been a true joy and watching her put faithfulness to our mission as people of God always front and center has been an inspiration. Joan, I am glad you'll be able to set down some of the responsibility you've carried - and I will miss you.
There are always so many people to thank in our community. We are blessed with so many who do so much and share so freely of their gifts. But the Vestry members stepping off this year were true rocks and anchors for Saint Anne's, and for me, during a time when nothing felt very grounded or certain. My gratitude runs deep.